China charges couple with spying for UK’s MI6
Al Jazeera
Chinese intelligence claims husband recruited while studying in the United Kingdom, and later brought his wife on board.
China has arrested a married couple accused of spying for Britain.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security, in a statement issued on Monday, said the recruitment of the couple, by British intelligence agency MI6, remains under investigation. The case is the latest alleged espionage episode to be declared amid rising tension between China and the United Kingdom.
Both of those detained are Chinese citizens and members of unnamed state organisations, the ministry said.
The man, identified only by his surname Wang, was courted by British intelligence starting in 2015, when he was studying in the UK. He was allegedly invited to dinners and events, with MI6 taking advantage of his “strong desire for money”.
British operatives also offered security and used “repeated persuasion, enticement and even coercion” to Wang, who eventually caved in after initially expressing hesitance, according to the ministry.
