Keir Starmer faces growing pressure to toughen Labour's stance on China - following scandal of the alleged spy who befriended Prince Andrew
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Keir Starmer has defended fostering closer ties with China – despite being told Beijing has ‘thousands’ of agents who could emulate the alleged spy who befriended Prince Andrew. The Prime Minister admitted he was ‘concerned about the challenge’ posed by China but doubled down on his policy of ‘engagement’ and ‘co-operating’ with the state.
![[Businessman and former York University student Yang Tengbo was unmasked as an alleged spy with links to Prince Andrew (pictured)]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/16/22/93211061-14199375-Businessman_and_former_York_University_student_Yang_Tengbo_was_u-a-52_1734388833867.jpg)
It came as businessman and former York University student Yang Tengbo was unmasked as an alleged spy who wove a web of influence through the British establishment. His identity was revealed after the lifting of a court order yesterday – allowing the extent of his activities to be reported for the first time.
![[Yang Tengbo or Christopher Yang with former prime minister Theresa May and her husband Philip]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/16/22/93211249-14199375-Yang_Tengbo_or_Christopher_Yang_with_former_prime_minister_There-a-53_1734388833872.jpg)
The development renewed calls on the Prime Minister – who last month met China’s president Xi Jinping in the first face-to-face talks between British and Chinese leaders in six years – to take a harder line. Yang, 50 – who also used the Anglicised name Christopher Yang – has been photographed alongside former prime ministers Theresa May and David Cameron and former chancellor George Osborne.
![[The alleged spy (seen on the left, wearing glasses and holding the document) had impressive connections in the UK]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/16/22/93199703-14199375-The_alleged_spy_seen_on_the_left_wearing_glasses_and_holding_the-a-55_1734389567497.jpg)
The businessman, described as a ‘close confidant’ of Andrew who was invited to his 60th birthday party, also went into business with the late Lady (Barbara) Judge, a former chairman of the UK Atomic Energy Authority once described as one of the ‘best-connected women in Britain’.
![[Tengbo invested in a fashion and soft furnishings company with the late former chair of both the UK Atomic Energy Authority and the Institute of Directors, Lady Barbara Judge]](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/12/16/22/93195409-14199375-Tengbo_invested_in_a_fashion_and_soft_furnishings_company_with_t-a-56_1734389573199.jpg)
