Two men on Wednesday went on trial in London, accused by British prosecutors of spying on Hong Kong pro-democracy dissidents based in the UK on behalf of the territory’s authorities and, ultimately, China.
Hong Kong was under British rule for 156 years before reverting to Chinese sovereignty in 1997, and there have been growing tensions between the two sides over a sweeping national security crackdown since pro-democracy protests swept the territory in 2019.
Chung Biu Yuen (袁松彪, also known as Bill), 65, and Chi Leung Wai (衛志良, also known as Peter), 38, both dual Chinese and British nationals, deny charges of assisting a foreign intelligence service between December 2023 and May 2024, and conducting “foreign interference” by forcing entry into a residential address on May 1, 2024.
Photo: Reuters
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson told London’s Old Bailey court that the two men had been tasked to carry out “shadow policing operations on behalf of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and thereby the People’s Republic of China.”
Atkinson said that included targeting dissidents now resident in Britain for whom the Hong Kong government had issued bounties of HK$1 million (US$130,000), for information leading to their whereabouts or capture.
“Messaging on Mr Yuen’s phone between him and Wai indicated that surveillance on pro-democracy protester Nathan Law [羅冠聰] had been ongoing since 2021,” Atkinson said.
Yuen, a retired Hong Kong police officer, worked at Hong Kong’s Economic and Trade Office in London. Wai worked as a UK Border Force officer and as a volunteer part-time officer for the City of London Police, Atkinson said.
The jury were shown numerous messages between Yuen, Wai and others, which the prosecution said showed them discussing plans to target activists, who were referred to as “cockroaches.”
Atkinson said one message from Yuen to Wai asked him to carry out surveillance on British political figures at one event, and pay “special attention to the government people or the UK members of parliament, local councilors.”
Another message from someone who Atkinson said was a former senior Hong Kong police officer requested information about Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of the Conservative Party and a prominent Beijing critic.
The two men are also accused of gathering intelligence on behalf of the Hong Kong office about Monica Kwong (鄺文琪), who left Hong Kong in December 2023 after being accused of fraud by her employer Tina Zou (鄒田甜), Atkinson said.
Wai is also accused of misusing his job with the Border Force to gain access to the computer system of the British Home Office.
The Chinese embassy in London has accused Britain of fabricating the charges against the men and said it had no right to interfere in Hong Kong’s affairs.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said in a statement that it “opposes smearing China and misleading public opinion.”
Separately, in the Philippines, authorities apprehended an undisclosed number of Filipinos who allegedly spied on behalf of China, the National Security Council said in a statement on Wednesday night, calling it a “serious national security matter.”
The council said that it had “addressed and terminated” operations taken at “the behest of Chinese intelligence,” without offering details of the alleged espionage.
“For reasons of national security, we cannot discuss identities, methods, or timelines so as not to jeopardize ongoing operations,” it said. “Nonetheless, necessary actions have been taken against the individuals concerned — all Filipino nationals — who have all confessed their complicity in espionage activities and are cooperating with authorities.”
The statement cited a recent investigation in news Web site Rappler, which reported that Chinese minders had sought information about maritime deployments and resupply missions in contested waters.
Additional reporting by AFP
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