It has come to light that Prince Andrew had contact with high-ranking Chinese official Cai Qi, who has been referred to as the “head of intelligence” involved in a spying scandal. Reports indicate that the Duke of York met with Cai at least three times.
Photographs have surfaced showing Prince Andrew shaking hands with Cai Qi, the Beijing top official suspected of receiving confidential information from two British citizens. Cai Qi, a close associate of Chinese President Xi Jinping, is accused of orchestrating espionage activities in Westminster involving representatives of the Chinese government.
Prince Andrew, whose reputation was already marred by scandals over his connections with another alleged Chinese agent, has established ties with Cai Qi, a senior official of the Communist Party of China. In the photos from that time, they posed against backdrops symbolizing the “joint building of a golden era in Sino-British relations.”
According to the prosecution, Cai Qi is suspected of leading a massive intelligence operation aimed at stealing British secrets. He also oversaw the activities of Christopher Cash, a 30-year-old parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a 33-year-old English teacher. Both deny their guilt. The legal proceedings were halted just before the hearing last month after the government declined to recognize China as a “hostile entity.”
According to the Beijing Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, Prince Andrew’s meetings with Cai Qi took place in May 2018 and April 2019.