According to a report from Reuters, a Chinese businessman has been banned from entering the UK on suspicions of having ties with the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department and allegedly using Prince Andrew to infiltrate the British royal family, raising concerns about national security.
The 50-year-old man, identified as H6, was stopped on a flight from Beijing to London in February 2023 and informed that he was prohibited from entering the UK.
H6 appealed to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), which on Thursday (December 12) rejected his case in a written ruling, bringing this incident to light for the first time.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on matters related to Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew was relieved of his royal duties by the Palace in 2022, and Reuters was unable to reach him or his representatives for comments.
The ruling revealed that the Chinese businessman was detained at the UK border in 2021 under the Counter-Terrorism Act, and his phone contents were downloaded, showing that Prince Andrew had authorized him to establish an international financial scheme to engage with potential Chinese partners and investors.
The ruling stated that documents on H6’s phone indicated that he “intentionally concealed his connections with the Chinese Communist Party and the United Front Work Department,” and was able to facilitate connections between prominent figures in the UK and senior Chinese officials for Beijing’s benefit.
The United Front Work Department is described by the Chinese Communist Party as a “magic weapon” to strengthen Beijing’s influence overseas.
The Chinese Embassy in London did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comments.
The SIAC ruling disclosed a letter written in March 2020 by a senior adviser to Prince Andrew to H6, mentioning that H6 had been invited as a guest of honor to Andrew’s birthday party that month and reminding him never to underestimate the power of their relationship.
The letter added that following a meeting between Andrew, H6, and the adviser, they bypassed the former private secretary and carefully excluded those who were not fully trusted.
The letter said, “Under your guidance, we have found a way for relevant personnel to enter and leave Windsor Castle discreetly.” The ruling did not specify who these personnel were or provide further explanation.
Prince Andrew, 64, is the eighth in line to the throne and served as the UK’s trade envoy from 2001 to 2011.
In 2019, he stepped down from public duties due to his ties to the late American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to the accusations against him. In 2022, the royal family severed his military affiliations and royal patronages.
The SIAC ruling referenced a document from 2021 recovered from H6’s device listing key points of communication between him and Andrew, indicating that the prince was in a “desperate situation,” likened to a drowning man clutching at straws.
Judge Charles Bourne remarked in the ruling that H6 had “won a high degree of trust from a senior royal ready to engage in commercial activities with him, which is unusual trust.”
Bourne added, “As recorded in the documents at the time, against a background of significant pressure being endured by the Duke, it can be expected that (H6’s) loyal support would be valued.”
Bourne stated that the UK Home Office was entitled to conclude that H6 had significant connections with the Chinese Communist Party and the United Front Work Department and could potentially “exploit” his relationship with Prince Andrew.