Two men, including a British immigration officer, were found guilty in a London court on Thursday of spying on behalf of Hong Kong and ultimately China, targeting prominent pro-democracy dissidents now based in Britain.
Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 65, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 40, who worked for the UK Border Force, were convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service by carrying out surveillance on targets between December 2023 and May 2024.
The men, both dual Chinese and British nationals, had denied the accusations, while the Chinese embassy in London has accused Britain of fabricating the charges against them.
They are believed to be the first people to have been convicted of spying for China in Britain, local media reported. Wai and Yuen will be sentenced at a later date and face up to 14 years in jail
The jury at London’s Old Bailey court was unable to reach a verdict on another charge of conducting “foreign interference” by forcing entry on behalf of Hong Kong authorities into the home in northern England of a woman who has been accused of fraud in the city.
Ties strained
Relations between Britain and China have been strained since a national security crackdown on sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019 in Hong Kong, which was under British rule for 156 years before reverting to Chinese sovereignty almost three decades ago.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visited China in January, but repeated accusations of espionage activities have proved a stumbling block in attempts to improve bilateral ties
