(USNewsBreak.com) – Many countries worldwide have an intelligence agency whose primary purpose is to gain and process information that might put national security at risk. The United States has the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), while Britain has the Secret Intelligence Service, also known as Military Intelligence, Section 6 (MI6). China has recently accused the United Kingdom of sending a spy working for the MI6 to access its state secrets.
The Accusations
On January 7, the Chinese Ministry of National Security accused the British Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, of espionage. It named Huang Moumou, the head of a consulting agency, who has reportedly been entering China dozens of times over the past nine years. The message further alleged that MI6 instructed Huang, who does not have Chinese citizenship, to “collect China-related intelligence for British espionage and to identify personnel for MI6 to incite rebellion.”
According to the posting on WeChat, Huang reportedly passed more than a dozen pieces of intelligence to the UK before Chinese authorities detected something was amiss and “took criminal coercive measures against him.”
Exchanged Barbs
China’s accusations are just the latest in a series of exchanges between the two countries. Last March, British authorities arrested two men under the Official Secrets Act, one a parliamentary researcher, accusing them of working for Beijing. Those claims led to Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer stating it “is a serious breach of security conducted by the Beijing security services.”
Authorities didn’t publicly identify the man in media reports, and he denied all accusations through representatives. China condemned them as well. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning spoke out against the claims and demanded the UK “stop spreading disinformation,” calling the allegations “political manipulation and malicious slander,” according to Reuters.
China has also accused the United States of spying on it, saying US officials were working with a Chinese citizen employed by a defense institute. The man, identified only by his surname, Hou, visited the US to attend university in 2013. During that time, Chinese officials allege US officials approached and coerced him into revealing Beijing’s state secrets. In return, the US compensated Hou with thousands of dollars. Chinese authorities detained him in 2021.
The most recent accusation is just the latest in China’s efforts to crack down on matters related to national security. It has bolstered its message to its citizens, warning them of the consequences of engaging in espionage and setting up tip lines where people can report suspicious activity.
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