UK to Summon Chinese Ambassador After Convictions in London of 2 Hong Kong Spies

The UK will summon the Chinese ambassador after two men were convicted in London of spying on behalf of Hong Kong and ultimately China, British Security Minister Dan Jarvis said on May 7.

The convictions followed a trial at London’s Old Bailey involving Chung Biu Yuen, 65, a former Hong Kong police officer employed at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London, and Chi Leung Wai, 40, a former UK Border Force officer and special constable with the City of London Police.

The pair were found guilty under the UK National Security Act 2023 of assisting a foreign intelligence service, according to a May 7 statement by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The prosecutors said the two men gathered unauthorized information and conducted unlawful surveillance in the UK for the benefit of Hong Kong authorities and, ultimately, China.

“The activities carried out by these men, on behalf of China, are an infringement of our sovereignty and will never be tolerated,” Jarvis said in a May 7 statement.

“We will continue to hold China to account and challenge them directly for actions which put the safety of people in our country at risk.”

He said that the UK Foreign Office would summon the Chinese ambassador “to make it clear activity like this was, and will always be, unacceptable on UK soil.”

Surveillance of Dissidents

According to CPS, the defendants gathered information on dissidents living in the UK, including their home addresses, vehicles, and social media activity.

Prosecutors said individuals linked to Hong Kong authorities referred to the targeted activists as “cockroaches.”

The jury heard evidence that the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London was used as a base from which the activities were coordinated and funded, according to prosecutors.

Authorities also alleged that Hong Kong officials had placed bounties of up to 100,000 pounds ($133,000) on pro-democracy campaigners for information leading to their location or capture.

Wai was additionally convicted of misconduct in public office after prosecutors said he improperly accessed Home Office databases to obtain personal information.

Digital evidence presented during the trial showed Wai carried out database searches while off duty and shared sensitive information acquired through his official role, prosecutors said.

Bethan David, head of the Counter Terrorism Division at the Crown Prosecution Service, said the case demonstrated the UK’s determination to confront foreign interference.

She said the conduct was “deliberate, coordinated and carried out with full knowledge of who it would benefit,” citing digital communications and financial records introduced during the trial.

The CPS said prosecutors presented months of encrypted messages, call records, and other digital evidence showing the defendants were allegedly tasked and paid by individuals linked to Hong Kong police and government bodies.

China Rejects Allegations

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the UK on May 7 rejected the accusations and condemned the prosecution.

The embassy accused the UK of using the case to smear the Chinese regime and the Hong Kong SAR authorities. It alleged that the purpose of the charges was to embolden “anti-China elements who are hiding in the UK.”

The statement added that China had lodged formal representations with the British government.

A spokesperson for the Hong Kong government separately denied any connection between the case and the Hong Kong administration or its London office.

“The allegations were absolutely not related to the Hong Kong Government and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London,” the spokesperson said on May 7.

“We firmly oppose any unfounded allegations against the HKSAR Government and the London ETO.”

Sentencing for the two men will take place at a later date at the Old Bailey.

Reuters contributed to this report.