UK jails Chinese-Brits for spying on Hong Kong dissidents for Beijing

A British court has sentenced two dual Chinese-British nationals to prison for spying on Hong Kong dissidents within the UK on behalf of China. The case marks the first of its kind under the 2023 National Security Act.

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deliberate, concerted, and serious

Peter Wai, a former UK Border Force official, received a 10-year sentence, while retired Hong Kong policeman Bill Yuen was jailed for eight years. The judge described their actions as "deliberate, concerted, and serious," causing "real and significant" harm and leaving targeted individuals in fear.

Wai, who previously served in the British police and Royal Navy, was also convicted of misconduct in a public office for searching the interior ministry's computer system for individuals of interest to Hong Kong authorities. Prosecutors stated that Wai gathered intelligence under Yuen's orders. Yuen was a senior manager at the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office (HKETO), which represents the Hong Kong government in London.

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real and significant

The Hong Kong government denied the allegations, calling them "unfounded" and "absolutely unrelated to the HKSAR Government, London ETO and its duties." The government asserted that the UK initiated the case based on "groundless accusations" and "abused law and manipulated judicial procedures."

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unfounded allegations and smearing

The court heard that the pair targeted Hong Kong dissidents, pro-democracy protesters, and politicians in Britain, including former Conservative party leader Iain Duncan Smith. Their activities coincided with Hong Kong authorities offering bounties for information on UK-based activists like Nathan Law, who was also targeted. The pair engaged in information gathering, surveillance, and deception, with one operation involving photographing prominent campaigner Nathan Law.

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The UK side initiated the case on groundless accusations, abused law and manipulated judicial procedures to secure conviction