PRINCE Andrew was seen as a "valuable communication channel" by China, new documents claim. The papers also suggest MI5 questioned the Duke of York's most senior aide about his "clandestine" relationship to an alleged Chinese spy. The royal, 64, first met Yang Tengbo, 50, in 2013 and he became a close confidant, helping to launch his Pitch@Palace business initiative in China. The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) released hundreds of pages of disclosures on Friday after Yang failed to overturn a ruling banning him from the UK as a national security risk.

Among the documents retrieved from Yang's phone and laptop was a crib sheet for a planned call between the accused spy and "TD" - the duke, reports The Sunday Times. It added that China's ambassador to London Zheng Zeguang, regarded Andrew as a “valuable communication channel”. Meanwhile, further documents retrieved from Yang's devices show the duke hoped to leverage the Firm's reputation to raise $3billion (£2.4bn) of international financing for a pot to "break unproductive technological and talent blockades against China".

Andrew is also facing further questions about his relationship with late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein. Emails from a separate legal case appear to show the royal was in contact with Epstein for weeks longer than he has previously admitted during his disastrous Newsnight interview. Andrew was forced to step back from royal duties following the chat in November 2019 in which he refused to condemn his relationship with billionaire.

He also claimed he had severed ties with Epstein in December 2010 but emails came to light this week showing they were still talking two months later. He said he didn't see or speak to Epstein after they were pictured strolling through Central Park in New York City shortly after the paedo was released from jail for child sex offences. But emails disclosed in a filing by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) reveal he spoke to Epstein in February 2011.

In an email, he told Epstein: "Keep in close touch and we’ll play some more soon!!!!". The emails have been exposed as the FCA defends an appeal by former Barclays Bank boss James Edward "Jes" Staley. Andrew paid millions to Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre in an out-of-court settlement three years ago, while denying sexual assault accusations. The royal could face an FBI probe after the man set to be the bureau's new boss vowed to "do everything" to expose those who worked with Epstein.

Donald Trump’s pick for FBI head, Kash Patel, has Andrew in his sights after telling a Senate hearing he is ready to investigate anyone connected to convicted paedophile Epstein, who died in 2019. The duke was also hit by a string of fresh humiliations yesterday as his portrait was stripped from a historic pub. Andrew faces last orders at The Duke of York pub in Fitzrovia, central London, where signs with his portrait were pulled down.