Chinese Businessman Linked to Prince Andrew Banned from Britain on National Security Grounds

A Chinese businessman, identified only as H6, who forged close ties with Prince Andrew and was authorized to act on his behalf to seek investors in China, has been banned from entering the United Kingdom on national security grounds.

H6, 50, was detained in February 2023 when attempting to fly from Beijing to London. He was informed that he would be banned from Britain, a decision that was officially carried out the following month. H6 appealed the ban at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC), but his case was rejected on Thursday, revealing details of his relationship with Prince Andrew for the first time.

The businessman’s ban follows an investigation that began when his phone was seized under counter-terrorism laws at a UK border in 2021. The contents of the phone revealed that Prince Andrew had authorized him to set up an international financial initiative to engage potential partners and investors in China. The ruling did not specify the purpose of the initiative.

Documents on H6’s phone also suggested that he had deliberately concealed his links to the Chinese Communist Party and the United Front Work Department, a network of organizations instrumental in expanding China’s influence globally. The UK authorities expressed concerns that H6 had the potential to leverage his relationship with prominent UK figures and senior Chinese officials for Beijing’s advantage.

The ruling revealed a letter from a senior advisor to Prince Andrew, sent in March 2020, which mentioned H6’s strong ties with the prince. It stated that H6 had attended Andrew’s birthday party and emphasized the importance of their relationship. The letter also suggested that H6 had navigated around former advisers to the prince and facilitated discreet meetings.

Prince Andrew, who served as a UK trade ambassador from 2001 to 2011, has been embroiled in controversy due to his past association with the late Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. He stepped down from public duties in 2019 and was stripped of his royal titles in 2022 following public scandals.

The SIAC ruling acknowledged that H6 had earned a significant level of trust from Prince Andrew during a period when the prince was under pressure, making him vulnerable to exploitation. Judge Charles Bourne noted that H6’s potential influence could pose a security risk, as it involved leveraging relationships for the benefit of the Chinese government.