Prince Andrew ‘ceased all contact’ with ‘Chinese spy’ after ‘concerns were raised’

The Duke of York has said he “ceased all contact” with the businessman accused of being a Chinese spy after receiving advice from the Government.

Andrew met the individual through “official channels” with “nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed”, a statement from his office said.

The businessman – known only as H6 – lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK on national security grounds.

He brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after then-home secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded from the UK in March 2023.

H6 was described as a “close confidante” of The Duke.

A statement from Andrew’s office said: “The Duke of York followed advice from His Majesty’s Government and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.

open image in gallery

“The Duke met the individual through official channels with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed.

“He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.”

Judges were told that in a briefing for the home secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials “that could be leveraged for political interference purposes”.

They also said that H6 had downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state, which combined with his relationship with Andrew, 64, represented a threat to national security.

At a hearing in July, the specialist tribunal heard that the businessman was told by an adviser to Andrew that he could act on the duke’s behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, and that H6 had been invited to Andrew’s birthday party in 2020.

A letter referencing the birthday party from the adviser, Dominic Hampshire, was discovered on H6’s devices when he was stopped at a port in November 2021.

In a ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Bourne, Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, dismissed the challenge.

Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP for Tonbridge who served in the Cabinet as minister of state for security under the previous government, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday: “The United Front Work Department which is a branch of the Communist Party is seeking influence across the UK in everything across social, academic, financial, industrial, and various other ways.”

Asked whether Andrew’s advisers should have been aware of H6, Mr Tugendhat said: “It’s not immediately obvious, it could be someone who’s British who’s working in China and who’s come under the influence, so it’s not quite as black and white as it may first appear – but it’s certainly extremely embarrassing.

“It demonstrates I’m afraid that the Chinese state is extremely clear that what its ambition is is to secure influence over foreign countries.

“They always talk about no interference in other people’s business when people talk about human rights in China, but they do nothing but interfere in the UK and in many countries across the world.”