Chinese state guilty of ‘transnational repression’, say MI5, after two men found guilty of surveilling Beijing dissidents on British soil
MI5 issued an unprecedented warning about ‘crimes directed’ by Beijing on Friday, following the first conviction of a Chinese spy ring targeting dissidents in Britain.
In a warning linked to the landmark case, the Security Service has published guidance on the threat of ‘transnational repression’ in the UK, offering advice to victims of physical violence, surveillance, harassment and online disinformation.
The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), an arm of MI5, released it just a day after UK Border Force officer Peter Wai, 40, and retired Hong Kong police officer Bill Yuen, 65, were found guilty of spying on Chinese dissidents living there.
In the first Chinese spying convictions in British history, Wai used his privileged access to Home Office databases to provide intelligence to Beijing so the pair could ‘go beyond their jurisdiction’ to conduct shadow police operations.
Now MI5 has warned of the impact of transnational repression in the UK, which it describes as ‘crimes committed by foreign states against individuals’.
The warning stated: ‘Some foreign states have targeted those they perceive as threats or otherwise seek to control, including those who have publicly voiced opposition to them.
‘Although the number of people affected by TNR (transnational pressure) in the UK is low, the impact on those targeted and wider communities can be severe.’
The notice touched on details of the Old Bailey trial and stated that Hong Kong Police had issued arrest warrants and offered a reward of £103,000 for information leading to the arrest of persons living in the United Kingdom.
Peter Wai arrives at the Old Bailey convicted of running a Chinese ‘state intelligence agency’ on British soil while working as a UK Border Force officer
Wai was tasked by 66-year-old Bill Yuen to gather intelligence for Hong Kong authorities.
During the two-month trial, jurors heard Wai and Yuen received requests to gather intelligence on ‘fugitives’ linked to bounties related to pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.
NPSA listed people targeted at Beijing’s behest, including ‘the former leader of a pro-democracy group, a political commentator, and lobbyists for Hong Kong pro-democracy NGOs’.
The warning also criticized Tehran’s moves after MI5 director-general Sir Ken McCallum warned in October about Iran’s efforts to ‘silence its rivals around the world, including the UK’.
The statement comes after MPs warned yesterday that the China case was ‘just the tip of the iceberg’ and should serve as a ‘wake-up call’ for the Government over the threat posed by Beijing.
Sir Ken warned last year that state threats to Parliament were ‘increasing’ ahead of Beijing’s espionage warning over attempts to recruit officials.
The spy ring was part of Operation Foxhunt, an effort to deport people back to China for persecution.
Despite the security risk, a delegation of cross-party MPs will embark on a five-day trip to China later this month organized by the Great Britain-China Centre, an NGO funded by the Foreign Office to improve ties with Beijing.
