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Academic Linked to Chinese Communist Party Forges Connections Inside UK Parliament

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

An academic with connections to the Chinese Communist Party, Yu Xiong, has forged links inside the UK parliament and met King Charles and Queen Camilla, according to a report by the Guardian. Xiong, a professor of business analytics at the University of Surrey and a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, has attended a dozen events in the House of Lords since 2022 and had regular contact with peers, including Baroness Uddin, a cross-bencher. Xiong's apparent connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are likely to come under scrutiny as ministers in the UK target parts of the Chinese state under new foreign influence rules.

Key Takeaways:

  • Yu Xiong, a professor of business analytics at the University of Surrey, has connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and has attended a dozen events in the House of Lords since 2022.
  • Xiong has had regular contact with peers, including Baroness Uddin, a cross-bencher, and has met King Charles and Queen Camilla.
  • Xiong has been an outspoken supporter of Beijing's foreign policy aims, including its claim over Taiwan.
  • Xiong's role as UK president of the Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA) suggests "a high level of integration into the CCP-led United Front system" and "should trigger further scrutiny of the WRSA's activities in the UK."
  • Xiong has established connections inside parliament and has interacted with Uddin and Lord Taylor of Warwick, cross-bench peers who were formerly affiliated with Labour and the Conservatives respectively.
  • Xiong addressed several events in parliament in his capacity as an adviser to the all-party parliamentary group on the metaverse and web 3.0, which was co-chaired by Uddin until parliament was dissolved in May 2024 for the election.
  • The APPG's secretariat was run by the UK International Innovation Centre (UKIIC), a company that listed Xiong among its directors until April 2024.
  • Xiong's solicitors said that he denies being linked to the United Front and rejects that he has extensive connections to the CCP.

Statistics:

  • Since 2022, Xiong has attended at least a dozen events in the House of Lords on digital technology.
  • Xiong has interacted with peers, including Baroness Uddin and Lord Taylor of Warwick, on at least six occasions.
  • Xiong has met King Charles and Queen Camilla, according to his LinkedIn posts.
  • The United Front's principles include "upholding the leadership of the CCP" and opposing Taiwanese independence.
  • The WRSA has hundreds of millions of members worldwide.

Sources:

  • "The Guardian"
  • "Sky News"
  • "Photograph: Sky News"
  • "McGrathNicol"
  • "UK International Innovation Centre (UKIIC)"
  • "The Western Returned Scholars Association (WRSA)"
  • "Chinese Embassy in the UK"
  • "Royal Mint Court"
  • "Thames Fund"
  • "JKL Capital"

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