Prince Andrew aide told alleged Chinese spy that Newsnight interview was ‘ill advised’

A elder advisor to Prince Andrew told an alleged Chinese spy aboriginal banned from the UK that the Duke of York’s Newsnight interrogation successful the aftermath of the Jeremy Epstein ungraded had been “ill advised”, recently released documents show.

Tribunal documents made disposable connected Friday amusement that adjutant Dominic Hampshire thanked Yang Tengbo for lasting by Andrew pursuing the 2019 interrogation implicit his narration with precocious billionaire enactment offender.

“We person dealt with the aftermath of a hugely ill-advised and unsuccessful tv interview,” Mr Hampshire told Mr Yang successful a missive connected Buckingham Palace stationery successful March 2020.

It continued: “We person wisely navigated our mode astir erstwhile Private Secretaries and we person recovered a mode to cautiously region those radical who we don’t wholly trust.”

The 50-year-old Chinese businessman antecedently brought a lawsuit to the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) aft then-home caput Suella Braverman said helium should beryllium excluded from the UK successful March 2023.

As a self-made entrepreneur, I person built a palmy vocation facilitating commercialized and concern betwixt the UK and China

Yang Tengbo

Judges upheld the determination to barroom him from entering the UK connected nationalist information grounds, though Mr Yang is present seeking to entreaty against SIAC’s decision.

At a proceeding successful July, the specializer tribunal heard that the businessman was told by Mr Hampshire that helium could enactment connected the duke’s behalf erstwhile dealing with imaginable investors successful China, and that Mr Yang had been invited to Andrew’s day enactment successful 2020.

The missive from Mr Hampshire, which besides referenced the day party, was discovered connected Mr Yang’s devices erstwhile helium was stopped astatine a larboard successful November 2021.

The missive besides said: “I besides anticipation that it is wide to you wherever you beryllium with my main and so his family.

“You should ne'er underestimate the spot of that relationship… Outside of his closest interior confidants, you beryllium astatine the precise apical of a histrion that many, galore radical would similar to beryllium on.”

It continued: “Over the past fewer months, I have, perchance been partially liable for, and watched galore radical vanish from his web either due to the fact that they are simply not existent to their connection oregon they are ‘red carpet chasers’.

“I could database respective high-profile and well-known names who are nary longer astir america and determination are a precise tiny fig near – you stay arsenic 1 of those.”

Mr Hampshire said that an invitation extended to Mr Yang to the duke’s day “was not an engagement oregon an exclusive dinner” but was “strictly his and his family’s idiosyncratic beingness that very, precise fewer radical person the privilege to ever beryllium a portion of”.

Tribunal judges were told that successful a briefing for the location caput successful July 2023, officials claimed Mr Yang had been successful a presumption to make relationships betwixt salient UK figures and elder Chinese officials “that could beryllium leveraged for governmental interference purposes”.

A constabulary larboard quality study besides released connected Friday, dated November 7 2021, said that Mr Yang was stopped and questioned astatine Heathrow Airport aft flying from Paris.

An serviceman said successful the study that Mr Yang “states helium is simply a well-respected idiosyncratic by China and the UK for his achievements successful business”.

The study continued: “He stated helium tin recognize wherefore the westbound is suspicious of a one-government enactment arsenic helium is alert of however the governments enactment successful Europe and US.”

It continued: “But arsenic helium states, whilst a state is starting to turn you request 1 pb to propulsion successful a direction. If you had galore parties debating what determination to instrumentality it volition instrumentality years to execute the aforesaid extremity result.”

On Friday, Mr Yang said successful a connection that “the allegations against maine are wholly unfounded, I person done thing wrong” and that helium was seeking to overturn the SIAC’s determination to garbage his archetypal appeal.

He continued: “The inherent unfairness of the SIAC process means I americium incapable to cognize each the allegations and grounds against me.

“I person followed that process successful bully religion and provided afloat disclosure of each my concern and idiosyncratic affairs nether an anonymity bid connected the knowing it was confidential.

“The UK’s presumption connected its dealings with China is inconsistent and erratic.

“In the weeks since the media circus surrounding the work of the SIAC determination against me, the UK’s Chancellor has met with Chinese vice-premier He Lifeng successful Beijing, saying ‘choosing not to prosecute with China is nary prime astatine all’ portion a subordinate of her delegation said ‘a unchangeable and balanced narration with China is captious for UK growth, jobs, and prosperity’.

“This tin lone hap with the engagement of members of the concern assemblage similar me.

“As a self-made entrepreneur, I person built a palmy vocation facilitating commercialized and concern betwixt the UK and China.

“I was educated astatine a British university, I’m a UK taxpayer, and my activities person led to important concern and occupation instauration successful the UK.

“Stories of entrepreneurial occurrence similar this should beryllium encouraged and celebrated, not punished.”