China has accused MI6 of recruiting a top foreign consultancy firm boss who used specialist spying equipment to collect state secrets and information for Britain.
The case by China highlights the ongoing heated exchanges the countries have traded over accusations of perceived spying that threatens their respective national securities.
China’s Ministry of State Security revealed on its WeChat social media account on Monday that a foreigner, only identified by surname Huang, was in charge of an overseas consulting agency, and in 2015, MI6 established an ‘intelligence cooperative relationship’ with the person.
After that, M16 instructed Huang to enter China several times, and told him to use his public identity as a cover to collect China-related intelligence for British spying and ‘seek other personnel who they could turn’, the statement said.
Huang allegedly passed 17 pieces of intelligence, including confidential state secrets, to MI6 before he was identified, according to the MSS.
MI6 also conducted professional intelligence training for Huang in Britain and other places, and provided special espionage equipment for intelligence cross-linking, China’s government said.
