Prince Andrew has insisted he « ceased all contact » with a businessman accused of being a Chinese spy after concerns were raised with him by the UK government.
The Duke of York’s office has released a statement saying he had cut ties following « advice » from officials. The statement also makes clear the pair had never discussed anything of a « sensitive nature ».
It says: « The Duke of York followed advice from HMG (His Majesty’s Government) and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised.
« The duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security. »
It marks the first public comment from Andrew since it emerged his alleged « close confidant » had been barred from entering the UK because of national security risks.
An immigration tribunal upheld the decision on Thursday (December 12) to bar the businessman entry to the UK in a ruling which revealed the Chinese national had developed such a close relationship with Andrew that he was invited to the prince’s birthday party.
British government officials were concerned the man could have misused his influence because the prince was under « considerable pressure » at the time, according to the ruling.
Authorities believe the man, whose name hasn’t been released, was working on behalf of the United Front Work Department, an arm of the Chinese Communist Party which is used to influence foreign entities.
The Government found the businessman « was in a position to generate relationships between senior Chinese officials and prominent UK figures which could be leveraged for political interference purposes by the Chinese State », according to the tribunal’s decision.
King Charles‘s younger brother has been repeatedly criticised for his links to wealthy foreigners, raising concerns such individuals are trying to buy access to the Royal Family.
Andrew’s finances have been squeezed in recent years after he was forced to step away from royal duties and give up public funding amid concerns about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, the American financier and convicted pedophile who committed suicide in prison in 2019.
The Chinese national covered by this week’s ruling was described as a man who worked as a junior civil servant in China before he came to the UK as a student in 2002.
He gained a master’s degree in public administration and public policy at the University of York before starting a business that advises UK-based companies on their operations in China.
The man, 50, was granted the right to live and work in the UK for an indefinite period in 2013. Although he didn’t make Britain his permanent home, the man told authorities he spent one to two weeks a month in the country and considered it his second home.
He was stopped while entering the UK on November 6, 2021, and ordered to surrender his mobile phone and other digital devices on which authorities found a letter from a senior adviser to Andrew confirming that he was authorised to act on behalf of the prince in relation to potential partners and investors in China.
The letter and other documents highlight the strength of the relationship between Andrew, his adviser and the Chinese national.
The adviser wrote: « I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family.
« You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship. Outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on. »
The letter details how they had found a way to work around former private secretaries to the prince and other people who weren’t completely trusted.
It added that a way was found to get « the relevant people unnoticed in and out of the house in Windsor » where Andrew lives, meaning Royal Lodge.
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