The administrative manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (HKETO) in London, Chung Biu Yuen, and a former UK Border Force officer, Chi Leung Wai, have been convicted in a case involving breaches of the UK National Security Act, following a verdict delivered at the Central Criminal Court in London.
After several days of deliberation, the jury reached a majority verdict of 10–2, finding both defendants guilty of assisting a foreign intelligence service. Wai was also unanimously convicted of misconduct in public office. However, the jury was unable to reach a unanimous decision on charges related to foreign interference.
The court heard that Wai, while working at Heathrow Airport, used his official access to the Home Office database to unlawfully search and monitor personal information of Hong Kong individuals in the UK, particularly pro-democracy activists who had fled overseas. The information was allegedly passed on through Yuen to Chinese authorities.
The case also involved surveillance and a break-in at the home of a Hong Kong individual residing in the UK in 2024. The group allegedly posed as delivery and maintenance workers, monitored the property, and used a snake camera to film inside. MI5 later intervened and recorded parts of the operation.
Another defendant, former Royal Marine Matthew Trickett, died shortly after the arrests and public exposure of the case. A coroner’s inquest is scheduled for November.
The Hong Kong SAR Government responded that the case has “absolutely no connection” with the Hong Kong Government or HKETO in London. It stressed that the office has always operated lawfully in promoting economic, trade and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and the UK, and strongly rejected what it described as unfounded allegations.
Commentary:
A body originally established for economic and cultural exchange is now being portrayed in court as part of a broader overseas surveillance network targeting dissidents. This significantly undermines international trust in such institutions.
The ruling also serves as a warning for Australia. In recent years, some exiled Hongkongers have reported incidents of surveillance, intimidation, and harassment in Australia. The Australian government cannot afford complacency. It must more seriously assess foreign interference risks, strengthen investigations into transnational surveillance activities, and clearly safeguard the safety and freedom of expression of exile and migrant communities, in order to protect national sovereignty and core democratic values.