A Chinese national named Tengbo Yang, linked to Prince Andrew, has been identified following the lifting of an anonymity order by a judge. This revelation has sparked new discussions about Yang’s ties to the British establishment.
Yang, a 50-year-old Chinese citizen, has been prohibited from entering the UK since March 2023 due to national security concerns. British intelligence agency MI5 claims Yang, who provided consultancy to companies like GSK and McLaren, was part of a group collecting intelligence for China.
Yang contested the UK’s Home Office ban, but his appeal was turned down by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission last week. On Monday, Yang criticized how he has been treated.
“The description of me as a ‘spy’ is completely false,” Yang stated. “I’ve been caught up in changing political climates. When relations are good, Chinese investment is welcomed in the UK. When they aren’t, I face exclusion under an anti-China stance.”
Yang’s situation has rekindled discussions about the UK government’s approach to relations with China. His actions have also brought attention to the thin line between legitimate consultancy work and what MI5 chief Ken McCallum describes as “interference activity,” which includes clandestine and coercive influences.
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Through his company, Hampton Group International, Yang had built connections with Prince Andrew and other key British political and business figures. The company focused on fostering investments and opportunities between China, the UK, and globally.
The commission concluded that Yang could establish relationships with notable UK and Chinese figures, potentially facilitating political interference by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) or the state.
MI5 alleged Yang was affiliated with the Chinese Communist Party and worked for the United Front Work Department, which gathers intelligence.
Although the judges noted a lack of substantial evidence linking Yang to the UFWD, they pointed out inconsistencies in Yang’s claims of having no political connections in China.
Yang had previously collaborated with UK pharmaceutical company GSK to manage a bribery scandal in China, according to sources familiar with the situation. GSK chose not to comment.
Yang was introduced to GSK by Sir Ron Dennis, former CEO of McLaren, who also declined to comment. McLaren did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Gordonstoun, the Scottish boarding school attended by Prince Andrew and King Charles, announced on Monday that it had ended its agreement with Yang’s company, Hampton Group International.
Hampton Group International had signed a deal with Gordonstoun in 2019 to create sister campuses in China. The school stated that it could not provide further details due to legal reasons.
Besides his royal connections, Yang was photographed with former Conservative prime ministers Lord David Cameron and Baroness Theresa May. The timing of these meetings is unclear, and there’s no evidence that either politician knew Yang personally.
Downing Street declined to comment on whether Sir Keir Starmer had ever met Yang.
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The decision to lift Yang’s anonymity was made at a Royal Courts of Justice hearing on Monday, as MPs considered using parliamentary privilege to name him in the House of Commons.
Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, allowed an urgent question from Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a Tory MP critical of China, who warned that Yang was “not a lone wolf.”
UK security minister Dan Jarvis welcomed the court’s decision to uphold the ban on Yang entering the UK, noting that this case is part of broader security challenges faced by the UK from countries like China, Russia, and Iran.
He told MPs that the UK government’s response to these threats is “among the most robust and sophisticated anywhere in the world.” Jarvis added that the Home Office is working on a new foreign influence registration scheme, similar to the US Foreign Agents Registration Act, set to launch next summer.
The case against Yang was partly based on data discovered from his phone, seized by UK security services in November 2021.
One document titled “talking points for the duke” from August 2021 suggested Prince Andrew was in a “desperate situation and will grab on to anything.”
Peter Humphrey, a research associate at Harvard University’s Fairbank Centre for China Studies, noted that Prince Andrew’s involvement is somewhat of a sideshow. He emphasized the need to focus on political figures who have interacted with Yang.
Previously dubbed China’s “magic weapon,” the UFWD, which Yang was allegedly connected to, seeks to support China’s political goals, build overseas influence, and gather information. It targets foreign politicians, the Chinese diaspora, and Chinese students at international universities.
The Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, an advisory body, is its highest authority, meeting annually. In March 2022, China Daily interviewed Yang, identifying him as an overseas delegate to the CPPCC.
Yang told the newspaper he participated actively in President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, a strategy seen as enhancing China’s global economic influence, especially in developing countries.
At a press briefing in Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said: “China’s actions have been above board, and there is no deceitful or interfering behavior.”
