China arrests two alleged British spies

Representational image. Pic/iStock

Beijing has accused two Chinese citizens of spying for Britain, in the latest test of a relationship that has grown increasingly fraught.

China and the UK have clashed over Beijing's clampdown on free speech and open elections in Hong Kong, a former British territory that was guaranteed its own economic and political freedoms for 50 years after its handover to Chinese rule in 1997.

In a message on social media on Monday, the Ministry of State Security, China's main intelligence service, said it uncovered a major espionage case involving a couple identified only by their surnames, Wang and Zhou, who were allegedly recruited by Britain's foreign intelligence agency, MI6. It said Wang had gone to Britain as a student in 2015 and was later joined by his wife. It said Wang was given hotel rooms, trips around the country and financial incentives.

It said the couple worked for the Chinese government in a "central state agency" and handled government secrets, which they passed to MI6. No details were given about what information the couple provided.

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever