Chinese alleged spy’s identity revealed as MPs raise fears over Beijing’s reach in Britain
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Yang Tengbo is named in court as Iain Duncan Smith warns such ‘agents’ are the ‘tip of the iceberg’. An alleged Chinese spy who became a close confidant of the Duke of York has been named as Yang Tengbo following a court ruling, as concerns grow over Beijing’s reach within British society.
![[Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer (Leon Neal/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/16/17/b3ddc4cfad5fb367cc5c9a34f56f56d0Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzM0NDU0NjU4-2.78506848.jpg)
The 50-year-old businessman had been known as H6 until a judge lifted an anonymity order just ahead of an urgent question on the scandal from former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith. MPs had threatened to use parliamentary privilege to reveal Yang’s identity following accusations he became close to Prince Andrew in an effort to gain influence, and that he helped the United Front Work Department – an arm of the Chinese Communist Party.
![[Then prime minister David Cameron and Xi Jinping visited a pub in 2015 at the height of the ‘golden era’ in relations (Chris Radburn/PA)]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/11/18/07/70a2e2b86ecbd786da6db54133462b73Y29udGVudHNlYXJjaGFwaSwxNzMyMDAyMDQ1-2.24515618.jpg)
But Yang – who has also been pictured with Baroness Theresa May and Lord David Cameron – insisted he had “done nothing wrong or unlawful.”. In a new statement, he said it was "entirely untrue" to claim he was involved in espionage and that he was a victim of a “political climate” of tension between Britain and China.
Meanwhile, Prince Andrew indicated he would stay away from tbis year’s traditional Christmas royal get-together at Sandringham, Norfolk. His ex-wife Sarah, Duchess of York, will also miss the gathering in what will be seen as a show of solidarity for her former husband. The pair are said to be preparing to spend the day together at Royal Lodge, the home they still share in Windsor Great Park, Berkshire.
It is not yet known if the duke will attend Charles's traditional pre-Christmas lunch for the extended family at Buckingham Palace on Thursday. But Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, who have young families, had already planned to spend Christmas with their respective in-laws this year for the first time, sources said.
