A lawyer accused of trying to interfere in British politics on behalf of the Chinese government has lost a legal challenge against Britain’s domestic intelligence agency MI5.
The UK Security Service issued a security alert to all MPs in January 2022, warning that London-based lawyer Christine Lee knowingly coordinated with the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, an organization known to carry out “political interference activities in the UK”. “I was engaged. To exert Chinese influence abroad.
The Speaker of the House of Commons warned at the time that Lee had “facilitated” secret donations to British political parties and legislators “on behalf of foreign nationals”. Members of Parliament are required to declare the source of donations they receive, which must be from UK-registered electors or entities.
Lee’s firm, Christine Lee & Co., primarily provided legal services to the British Chinese community and acted as legal advisors to the Chinese Embassy in London. According to official records, his son Daniel Wilkes worked as diary manager for MP Barry Gardiner for five years, while he donated approximately £500,000 ($635,000) to Gardiner, mostly for office costs.
Lee, who was not charged with any criminal offence, took legal action, arguing that the security warning against him was political and violated his human rights.
On Tuesday, the three judges of the investigative powers tribunal unanimously rejected her claim and said MI5 had issued the warning for “legitimate reasons”.
The tribunal’s decision came a day after British authorities named Chinese national Yang Tengbo as an alleged spy who cultivated close ties with Prince Andrew and wielded influence among the British establishment on behalf of China’s United Front Work Department. Tried to.
Yang, 50, also known as Chris Yang, was banned from entering Britain last year after MI5 found he had carried out “clandestine and deceptive activity” for China.
Officials cited the correspondence, saying her relationship with the royal was of a secret nature, which referred to people “moving unnoticed in and out of the House of Windsor”.
Yang strongly denied the claims.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian on Tuesday called the spying allegations against Yang “ridiculous”, while the Chinese Embassy in Britain condemned British lawmakers for “slandering” China.
“We urge the UK side to immediately stop causing trouble, stop anti-China political manipulation and stop undermining normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK,” a statement posted on the embassy website said. Are.”