International

China Says Foreigner Working As Consultant Found To Be UK Spy

China's Ministry of State Security said that a foreigner, who was only identified by surname Huang was arrested on charges of spying for MI6.

Xi Jinping
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China has accused UK of spying after it claimed that its security agencies found a foreigner being used by the later to collect its secrets.

Xi Jinping ruled country said it has found a foreigner who worked for British Secret Intelligence Service, also known as MI6, Reuters reported.

The report quoting China's Ministry of State Security said that a foreigner, who was only identified by surname Huang was arrested on charges of spying for MI6.

He is said to in charge of an overseas consulting agency, and in 2015, MI6 established an "intelligence cooperative relationship" with the person, it mentioned.

“After that, M16 instructed Huang to enter China several times, and instructed him to use his public identity as a cover to collect China-related intelligence for British spying,” the report quoted China’s statement over the incident as stating. 

China has also said that MI6 also conducted “professional intelligence training for Huang in Britain and other places, and provided special espionage equipment for intelligence cross-linking”.

However, China has not stated the name of a consulting agency that alleged British spy Huang worked for.

In reaction to Chinese allegation, UK has accused China of targeting its officials in “sensitive positions in politics, defence and business” as part of its “sophisticated spying operation” to gain access to secrets.

Recently, a researcher in Britain's parliament denied he was a Chinese spy, the report mentioned.

In response China had said: "We urge the UK to stop spreading disinformation and stop political manipulation and malicious slander against China.”

China has been cracking down on perceived threats to its national security, revealing several cases of spying that it caught in recent years.

China has been repeatedly warning its citizens against getting caught up in espionage activities. It has working on to ensure its citizens join counter-espionage work for the country.