A foreign national, heading an overseas consulting firm, has been detained by Chinese authorities on charges of spying for the United Kingdom. The Ministry of State Security (MSS), China’s civilian spy agency, disclosed the arrest of an individual named Huang, who was leading a foreign consultancy. The statement did not provide Huang’s full details, such as gender or nationality, and refrained from disclosing the company of employment.
Huang allegedly commenced collaboration with MI6 in 2015, specializing in intelligence operations. The MSS claimed that MI6 directed Huang to travel to China multiple times to gather intelligence and identify potential assets. In exchange for intelligence and communication, MI6 provided Huang with training and professional spying equipment. The MSS asserted that Huang supplied Britain with 17 pieces of intelligence, including classified national information.
During the MSS investigation, Huang was afforded consular visits from their home country in compliance with the law. The British Embassy in Beijing referred inquiries to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), which had not responded to CNN’s request for comment at the time of reporting.
This development follows a broader crackdown by China on international consulting firms. In May of the preceding year, Chinese state security authorities announced raids on Capvision, a Shanghai and New York-based advisory network. This crackdown included the closure of the Beijing office of Mintz Group, a US corporate due diligence firm, and inquiries into the local branch of consultancy Bain.
Beijing’s efforts to tighten oversight over information deemed sensitive to national security are underscored by these measures. Capvision reported in October that it had undergone a national security inspection overseen by the Chinese government, implementing new compliance measures. The MSS, traditionally discreet, has recently increased public engagement, including the launch of a WeChat account, a popular social networking platform in China. The agency has used this platform to encourage public participation in countering foreign spies, particularly following the enactment of a counter-espionage law in July of the previous year, which has raised concerns among businesses regarding potential legal risks.
