'Extremely embarrassing'

PRINCE Andrew's links to an alleged Chinese spy barred from Britain on national security grounds have been described as "extremely embarrassing" by a former minister.

- Stephen Beech

The 50-year-old ex-civil servant in China, known as H6 and described as a "close confidant" of the Duke of York, lost an appeal over a decision to bar him from entering the UK.

He brought a case to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission when then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman said he should be excluded in March last year.

Judges were told that, in a briefing for the Home Secretary in July 2023, officials claimed H6 had been in a position to generate relationships between prominent UK figures and Chinese officials "that could be leveraged for political interference".

They also stated H6 downplayed his relationship with the Chinese state which, combined with his relationship with Andrew, was a threat to security.

Tom Tugendhat, who was security minister under then-PM Rishi Sunak, said the relationship shows how the Chinese state tried to seek influence and to interfere in British affairs.

Speaking to the BBC yesterday, Mr Tugendhat said: "The United Front Work Department, which is a branch of the Communist Party, is seeking influence across the UK in everything across social, academic, financial, industrial and various other ways."

Party

H6 was so close to the Duke he was told he could act on his behalf when dealing with potential investors in China, according to court documents.