China has arrested a foreign national who runs a foreign consulting company on charges of espionage for the United Kingdom of Great Britain, writes La Stampa. China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS) said in a statement that it had arrested a man surnamed Huang who worked with Britain’s MI6 while running a foreign consultancy.

The agency identified the alleged spy only by his last name, that he was in charge of foreign consultants and that he was from a “third country.”

According to the MSS, Huang began working with MI6 in 2015 on classified intelligence matters, and the British agency commissioned the “spy” to travel to China several times under the guise of a public persona to gather information and recruit people for MI6. The British spy agency provided Huang with professional training and equipment for sharing information and communication, MSS said. Juan allegedly provided Britain with 17 pieces of information, including various “national secrets.”

The news comes after China initiated inspections of international consulting firms for several months. In May 2023, state security agencies said they had raided several offices of Capvision, a consulting network with offices in Shanghai and New York. The announcement came after Chinese officials closed the Beijing offices of American company Mintz Group and questioned employees of the local branch of consulting firm Bain.

The measures are part of a broader effort by Beijing to increase surveillance of what it considers sensitive national security information.

Later in October, Capvision said it had successfully completed a national security inspection overseen by the Chinese government and had taken new compliance measures. The MSS, which oversees the Intelligence and Counterintelligence Service both in China and abroad, is usually known for keeping a low profile, but has recently expanded its communications with the public, even launching an account on the social media platform WeChat, a ubiquitous network in China.

The agency used the social platform to invite “all members of society” to join the fight against foreign spies, especially after the passage of the anti-espionage law that came into effect last July. The passage of the law has also spooked companies, which are concerned that expanding its scope could lead to serious legal risks.

The MSS statement did not identify Huang’s firm or nationality. “We call on the UK to stop spreading misinformation and put an end to political manipulation and slander against China,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a press conference.

Meanwhile, the FBI and the US Department of Justice have also uncovered recent cases of alleged Chinese espionage by Chinese and US citizens, including military personnel and former intelligence officers. The Financial Times reported last month that the MSS office had operated a far-right Belgian politician as an intelligence resource for more than three years.

The case showed how Beijing conducts influence operations overseas to try to shape policy in its favor, particularly on issues such as the suppression of democracy in Hong Kong and the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang. The document also highlighted concerns about the EU’s vulnerability to China’s espionage efforts as ties between Brussels and Beijing become increasingly strained.

The material was created with the support of Rador Radio Romania