China Condemns UK Ban of Businessman, Accuses MPs of Anti-China Smear Campaign

The Chinese embassy in London has sharply criticized the UK government’s decision to bar Chinese businessman Yang Tengbo from entering the country on national security grounds, accusing British politicians of engaging in an anti-China smear campaign, Bloomberg reports.

The rebuke follows a House of Commons session discussing Yang’s ban and the alleged infiltration of UK sectors by the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front Work Department, as detailed in a previous UK parliamentary report.

In a strongly worded statement published on its website, the embassy spokesperson urged the UK to “immediately stop creating trouble, stop anti-China political manipulations, and stop undermining normal personnel exchanges between China and the UK.” The spokesperson dismissed the ban as a case of “a thief crying ‘catch thief’,” suggesting the UK’s actions are a thinly veiled attempt to discredit China and target the Chinese community in the UK.

While the statement avoided direct criticism of the British government, it implicitly challenged Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s efforts to improve relations with China since taking office in July. The embassy spokesperson stressed the importance of mutual respect, non-interference, and equality in UK-China relations.

Both the Chinese Foreign Ministry and Yang Tengbo himself – a former business advisor to Prince Andrew – have denied accusations of espionage. Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian dismissed the allegations as “ridiculous.”