Prince Andrew Says He Has ‘Ceased All Contact’ With Alleged Chinese Spy

Prince Andrew says he “ceased all contact” with a business partner and friend once the British government raised concerns that the man was, in fact, a Chinese spy.

The Duke of York had reportedly invited the businessman to his birthday party and tried to tap him for money as he sought partners for a financial fund, The Times of London reported.

Now, Andrew has released a statement on the situation, aiming to exculpate himself.

“The Duke of York followed advice from HMG [His Majesty’s Government] and ceased all contact with the individual after concerns were raised,” it reads, according to Sky News. “The duke met the individual through official channels, with nothing of a sensitive nature ever discussed. He is unable to comment further on matters relating to national security.”

The alleged spy was appointed as a business adviser to Andrew and authorized to seek investors on his behalf in China, according to The Times.

MI6 uncovered, though, that the businessman was a member of the Chinese Communist Party and was working for China’s intelligence-gathering United Front Work Department.

A hearing this week that upheld a ban on the man from entering the United Kingdom also unveiled details of his ties to the Duke of York. The evidence presented included data gathered from the alleged spy’s phone when he was stopped at the border in 2021.

It included a letter from Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to the prince.

“I also hope that it is clear to you where you sit with my principal and indeed his family,” the letter read, according to the Times. “You should never underestimate the strength of that relationship… outside of his closest internal confidants, you sit at the very top of a tree that many, many people would like to be on.”

Another document found on the phone, written by the businessman, reportedly said that Andrew was in a “desperate situation and will grab onto anything.”

It’s not the first time Andrew has found himself in hot water over a controversial friendship.

In 2019, he was made to step away from his duties in the royal family due to his close personal relationship with convicted child sex-trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.