(USNewsMag.com) – China is accusing the United Kingdom’s intelligence agency of using large sums of money to recruit spies, which is the latest allegation in an ongoing back-and-forth between the two nations.
The Ministry of State Security reports that two employees of the Chinese government were targeted by MI6 operatives who used their “strong desire for money” to bribe them into recruitment as spies for the UK intelligence agency. First, they recruited a man named Wang who then managed to convince his partner, Zhou, to also join the organization as a British spy.
The Ministry of State Security claims that the recruitment of Wang began in 2015 when he was studying abroad under an exchange program, allegedly befriending him on campus while pretending to be an alumnus and hiring him for “consulting services.” The MI6 operatives allegedly provided “special care” to Wang while he was studying under the Sino-British exchange program, including invites to expensive dinners and private tours. They argue during this time, Uk intelligence tried to understand Wang’s “interests and weaknesses.”
Weeks before these accusations, the UK caught and charged two other men accused of spying on behalf of the Chinese government. The two men, 29 and 32 years old, were charged in April with passing on prejudicial information to the Chinese government, violating the Official Secrets Act. China dismissed the allegations against the two men, claiming it was nothing more than “malicious slander.” And in May, a former Royal Marine in the UK was found dead after facing charges of helping the Hong Kong intelligence service.
China did not give any specific details about how the latest case against the two accused Chinese nationals was uncovered, only specifically that a “thorough investigation” was conducted and that it would continue. They did not specify any formal charges yet, and the UK government also refused to confirm or deny the claims.
The Chinese Ministry of State Security started warning Chinese citizens in January of signs to look out for, specifically “exotic beauties” who may seek to lure them into spy rings.
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