Why the alleged Chinese spy with ties to Andrew cannot be named as Farage threatens to unmask him
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H6, a 50-year-old Chinese national, is at the heart of a scandal around the country’s influence on the UK. An alleged Chinese spy at the heart of the latest scandal to engulf Prince Andrew has been barred from the UK because he was likely to pose a threat to national security.
![[Nigel Farage has said he is prepared to name the alleged Chinese spy]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/12/16/07/2189619953.jpg)
Known as H6, the 50-year-old Chinese national’s identity is protected by an anonymity order, meaning The Independent and other outlets will not publish it - despite it being widely shared on social media and in overseas news reports. The businessman, who divided his time between China and the UK – calling it his "second home" – had previously been granted indefinite leave to remain in Britain where he established himself as a close confidant of the Duke of York.
He is said to have used his high profile connection to secure invitations to Buckingham Palace and other royal residences, with fresh reports now alleging he also met two former prime ministers. But he was expelled from the UK in 2023 by former home secretary Suella Braverman, with the Home Office saying he had engaged in “covert and deceptive activity” on behalf of the United Front Work Department (UFWD), which is an arm of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) state apparatus.
MPs including Nigel Farage have threatened to name H6 in the Commons under parliamentary privilege, whereby they can say things in the chamber without fear of legal repercussions. Parliamentary rules state that “a Member may state whatever they think fit in debate” and that “the Member is protected by parliamentary privilege from any action for defamation, as well as from any other question or molestation”.
