According to China’s Ministry of State Security, MI6 successfully recruited a Chinese couple working for the government as spies. The operatives exploited the man’s desire for money, leading him to convince his partner to join as a British spy.
According to the Chinese ministry’s WeChat post, MI6 agents successfully recruited a Chinese man named Wang and his wife, Zhou, who were employed in sensitive departments within a Chinese state agency. The couple allegedly became spies for the British intelligence service, further escalating tensions between Beijing and Western nations.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security claimed that MI6 initiated contact with Mr. Wang during his studies in the UK through a Sino-British exchange program in 2015. The operatives took “special care” of him, inviting him to dinners and tours to better understand his interests and weaknesses, according to BBC.
“Wang was initially hesitant but could not resist [the operatives’] repeated persuasion, enticement and even coercion, and eventually agreed,” BBC quoted the ministry said in a statement on WeChat, that added, “Under Wang’s strong instigation, Zhou agreed to collect intelligence… and he and his wife became British spies.”
Furthermore, China alleges that the UK provided personalized attention to Wang, inviting him to dinners and arranging tours. These efforts aimed to gain insights into his interests and vulnerabilities as part of their recruitment strategy.
China has revealed that, following a comprehensive investigation, they became aware of the situation. The ongoing probe continues to unfold, although further specifics remain undisclosed.
Recently, China accused two Chinese state employees of spying for the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). These employees allegedly provided ‘articles, notes, documents, or information’ to a foreign state. China has dismissed these allegations as ‘malicious slander’.
During the last week of May, Matthew Trickett, a former Royal Marine accused of aiding the Hong Kong intelligence service, was discovered deceased.
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