Two Men Face Trial in London Over Alleged Surveillance of Hong Kong Diaspora
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Two dual British-Chinese nationals have gone on trial in London accused of conducting covert surveillance on members of the Hong Kong diaspora community in the United Kingdom on behalf of Chinese authorities.
Prosecutors at the Central Criminal Court allege that 65-year-old Bill Yuen, a former senior officer in the Hong Kong police force, and 38-year-old Peter Wai, a UK Border Force official, operated as undeclared agents for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and, by extension, the People’s Republic of China.
According to the prosecution, the pair engaged in what was described as “shadow policing” activities. They are accused of monitoring pro-democracy activists and other individuals who relocated to Britain following Beijing’s imposition of sweeping national security legislation in Hong Kong.
Yuen previously served as a superintendent in the Hong Kong Police before taking up a role at the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. Prosecutors argue that his duties extended beyond administrative responsibilities and included gathering intelligence on political activists and critics of Hong Kong authorities.
Wai, who worked with the UK Border Force and also held a position as a special constable with the City of London Police, is alleged to have accessed official systems to obtain information. The court heard that he also operated a private security firm, which prosecutors claim served as a front for intelligence-related activities. Payments were allegedly made to him through accounts linked to the trade office.
Evidence presented includes phone communications suggesting surveillance of prominent exiled activist Nathan Law. Prosecutors said the monitoring extended to UK-based politicians and public officials. Among the names reportedly referenced was Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith, a vocal critic of Beijing and co-chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.
Both defendants deny the charges. They have pleaded not guilty to offences under the UK National Security Act, including assisting a foreign intelligence service and engaging in foreign interference between December 2023 and May 2024. Wai has also denied a separate allegation of misconduct in public office.
The trial, expected to run for approximately nine weeks, is seen as a significant test of the UK’s strengthened national security legislation amid growing concerns over foreign interference activities on British soil.
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