Two Men Jailed for Spying for China at UK's Old Bailey
Two dual British-Chinese nationals were jailed at London's Old Bailey on June 18 after being convicted of spying on prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy dissidents living in the United Kingdom on behalf of Chinese intelligence.
They are believed to be the first people ever convicted of spying for China in Britain.
Who Was Convicted — and What They Were Found to Have Done
Chung Biu "Bill" Yuen, 66, is a retired Hong Kong police officer.
Chi Leung "Peter" Wai, 41, worked as an officer for the UK Border Force — a branch of the Home Office responsible for immigration and customs enforcement at ports and airports — after previously serving in the British police and the Royal Navy.
Both men were convicted in May 2026 following a two-month trial, after being found to have assisted a foreign intelligence service by carrying out surveillance on named targets in the UK between December 2023 and May 2024.
Wai was also separately convicted of misconduct in a public office, after using his Border Force access to search the Home Office's internal computer database for personal details about the individuals being monitored.
Al Jazeera confirmed the convictions and sentences from Thursday's Old Bailey hearing.
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The Sentences — and What the Judge Said at the Old Bailey
Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb sentenced Yuen to eight years in prison and Wai to ten years.
In delivering the sentences, she described the men's actions as "deliberate, concerted and serious," adding that they had caused "real and significant" harm to the individuals targeted, leaving them in fear and distress.
Her remarks extended beyond the immediate case to address the nature of modern intelligence operations.
"The United Kingdom now faces persistent, adaptive, and often clandestine interference by foreign state actors and those acting on their behalf," she told the court. "Modern foreign intelligence activity is not confined to orthodox espionage against military or governmental secrets. It may take the form of surveillance, information gathering, intimidation, and targeting of dissidents and those who have sought the protection of this country's laws."
Euronews described the men's activities as "shadow policing" — the use of surveillance and intimidation tactics against diaspora communities by foreign intelligence services operating inside a host country.
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The Access That Made Wai's Role Different From Yuen's
The length difference between Wai's ten-year sentence and Yuen's eight-year term reflects the additional conviction for misconduct in public office — and the specific danger his position created.
A Border Force officer with active database access to immigration records holds a capability that no civilian could replicate.
Wai could check the name, movement history, visa status, and travel patterns of any individual flagged for surveillance without triggering the kind of official inquiry that an external request for that data would require.
That access — used on Home Office systems to gather intelligence on behalf of a foreign government — is what the judge's words about "persistent, adaptive, and often clandestine" foreign interference were describing in practice.
"The activity of Wai and Yuen was truly chilling," said Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counterterrorism policing in London, in a statement after sentencing. "They were spying and targeting individuals in the UK who were pro-democracy campaigners and were simply protesting against the Hong Kong government."
Security Minister Angela Eagle said the sentences sent a clear message, adding that the UK would "continue to hold China to account and take action against anything that puts the safety of people in our country at risk."
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China's Response — and the Broader Diplomatic Context
Both men denied the charges throughout the trial.
The Chinese embassy in London dismissed the case as "nothing but a political move of abusing the law."
Times Live confirmed that the convictions are believed to be the first of their kind in the United Kingdom — a legally historic outcome that arrives at a diplomatically sensitive moment.
The UK's Labour government has been attempting to reset relations with Beijing after years of strain, including the recent approval of a large new Chinese embassy complex in London. Thursday's sentencing will complicate that reset.
The convictions demonstrate that foreign intelligence activity targeting diaspora communities inside the UK is now being prosecuted at the highest criminal level — and that the access a foreign national holds to official state systems is a specific and prosecutable risk, not merely a procedural concern.
Key Takeaways
- Chung Biu "Bill" Yuen, 66, and Chi Leung "Peter" Wai, 41, were sentenced at the Old Bailey on June 18 to 8 years and 10 years respectively — in what are believed to be the first convictions for spying for China in British history.
- Both were convicted in May 2026 of assisting a foreign intelligence service by surveilling Hong Kong pro-democracy dissidents in the UK between December 2023 and May 2024.
- Wai, a serving UK Border Force officer, was additionally convicted of misconduct in public office for searching the Home Office database to gather intelligence on targets.
- Judge Bobbie Cheema-Grubb at the Old Bailey described the activity as "deliberate, concerted and serious" and said modern foreign intelligence increasingly targets dissidents and asylum seekers rather than state secrets.
- Commander Helen Flanagan, head of counterterrorism policing in London, called the activity "truly chilling."
- China's embassy called the case "a political move of abusing the law"; both defendants denied the charges.
Sources
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World News Correspondent
Rachel Hayes reports on international affairs, geopolitics, and breaking world news. Based in London, she covers stories shaping the UK and global political landscape.
