Yuen and Wai guilty in first UK Chinese espionage convictions
Updated
Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 7
Yuen and Wai guilty in first UK Chinese espionage convictions
12 articles · Updated · The Wall Street Journal · May 7
London jurors convicted Hong Kong trade office manager Chung Biu Yuen and former Heathrow Border Force officer Chi Leung Wai; sentencing will follow.
Prosecutors said they researched UK-based Hong Kong dissidents, including Nathan Law, with Wai using a Home Office database and also being convicted of misconduct in public office.
The case grew from a 2024 Wales intimidation attempt; it underscores UK concerns over Beijing monitoring exiled Hong Kongers after the 2020 national security law.
How deep did China's infiltration of UK immigration data go, and are Hong Kong refugees now at risk?
With its London office implicated in espionage, should the UK revoke Hong Kong's diplomatic privileges?
Is Britain's new security law strong enough to stop foreign 'shadow police' from operating on its soil?
Landmark UK National Security Act Convictions: Wai and Yuen Found Guilty of Assisting Hong Kong Spy Network
Overview
In May 2026, Chi Leung Wai and Chung Biu Yuen were convicted under the UK National Security Act for assisting Hong Kong's intelligence service by conducting covert surveillance on pro-democracy activists in the UK, including Nathan Law, Finn Lau, and Christopher Mung, all targeted with substantial bounties. Wai misused his former Border Force access to the Home Office ATLAS database for unauthorized searches, while Yuen directed operations from the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London. Their activities escalated to forcibly entering a UK residence in May 2024. The convictions sparked diplomatic tensions, with the UK condemning the espionage and China denying the charges, highlighting ongoing risks faced by Hong Kong activists in the UK.