𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

A Hong Kong exile with a £100,000 bounty on her head from China has issued a dire warning to the UK after two British nationals were found guilty of spying for Beijing. Chloe Cheung accused the Government of “failing to act” and said it was “sending a dangerous message that hostile foreign states can continue targeting dissidents in the UK without serious consequences”.

Dual Chinese-British nationals Peter Wai, 38, and Bill Yuen, 65, were convicted of assisting a foreign intelligence service under the National Security Act on Thursday following a trial at the Old Bailey. The landmark case exposed a covert campaign to surveil and intimidate pro-democracy activists while they worked at the Hong Kong London Economic and Trade Office (HKETO). Wai was also convicted of misconduct in a public office by searching the Home Office computer system for people of interest to Hong Kong authorities.

Ms Cheung, who cannot re-enter Hong Kong for fear of being captured by the Chinese government, told the Daily Express the conviction was “deeply satisfying”. She added: “This is what justice looks like in a democratic country, something that no longer exists in Hong Kong under Beijing’s authoritarian rule.”

But Ms Cheung said Beijing had “exploited the openness of British democracy to conduct transnational repression against Hong Kongers living in exile”.

The activist and campaigner called on the Government to “immediately place China on the enhanced tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme” and remove the protections granted to HEKTO offices.

She added: “It is outrageous that offices representing an authoritarian regime accused of facilitating repression in Britain still enjoy privileges designed for a very different Hong Kong. The era of naïvety towards the Chinese Communist Party must end.”

The jury in the case, which deliberated for 23 hours and 38 minutes, failed to reach a verdict on charges of foreign interference by forcing entry into the Pontefract home of alleged fraud suspect Monica Kwong on May 1, 2024.

The prosecution announced it would not seek a retrial on that matter, and the defendants were remanded into custody to be sentenced on a date to be fixed on May 15.

The Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong has launched a petition to demand the repeal of the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office Act 1996, which it says gave HEKTO these freedoms.

Security Minister Dan Jarvis said: “The activities carried out by these men, on behalf of China, are an infringement of our sovereignty and will never be tolerated. We will continue to hold China to account and challenge them directly for actions which put the safety of people in our country at risk. That is why the Foreign Office will summon the Chinese Ambassador to make it clear activity like this was, and will always be, unacceptable on UK soil.

“This case proves the strength of the powers we have to protect us from hostile activity carried out by foreign states and these convictions should send a clear message – there will be serious consequences for anyone who seeks to undermine our security.

“I’m grateful to our partners in law enforcement and the Crown Prosecution Service for their work in bringing these individuals to justice.”