Prince Andrew met alleged Chinese spies during Pitch@Palace

Published: 22 October 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online.

Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is reported to have met two alleged Chinese spies during a single official trip to China in 2019 as part of his Pitch@Palace initiative, according to a detailed investigation by The Telegraph. The revelations cast fresh scrutiny on the Prince’s international engagements and raise questions about the potential exposure of sensitive UK information to foreign actors.

During a nine-day visit to China in April 2019, Prince Andrew met both Cai Qi and Yang Tengbo, individuals linked to intelligence operations in Beijing. Cai Qi has been associated with the prosecution of two alleged Chinese agents whose case recently collapsed, while Yang Tengbo, described as “H6” by UK authorities, had been banned from entering the United Kingdom due to security concerns.

The Prince’s meetings were reportedly focused on promoting Pitch@Palace China, the Chinese extension of his Dragon’s Den-style entrepreneurship initiative. Pitch@Palace was launched in the UK to support innovative startups and connect entrepreneurs with influential business and political figures. It expanded into China in 2016, with Prince Andrew playing a prominent role in cultivating relationships with local officials and business leaders.

Cai Qi, a senior Chinese Communist Party official and close ally of President Xi Jinping, praised the initiative during his meeting with the Prince on April 10, 2019. According to a report on the Chinese government’s website, Cai highlighted Pitch@Palace’s global influence, claiming it had “supported nearly 2,000 entrepreneurial projects around the world, with its influence growing steadily.” Two days later, Prince Andrew attended a Pitch@Palace China bootcamp at Peking University in Shenzhen, where he met Yang Tengbo alongside other business figures. This was the first in a series of interactions between the Prince and Yang during the visit.

Yang Tengbo has been publicly identified as an alleged Chinese spy following a High Court ruling in December, which lifted an anonymity order. The ruling suggested that Yang had earned “an unusual degree of trust” from Prince Andrew, embedding himself within the British establishment while allegedly pursuing intelligence objectives. Yang has denied these allegations, stating that any claims of espionage are “entirely untrue.”

Evidence indicates that Prince Andrew’s engagements with these individuals were not limited to formal meetings. He invited Cai Qi to Buckingham Palace on at least one occasion for a private lunch, and video footage from April 2019 shows the Prince and Yang sitting side by side during Pitch@Palace events, sharing conversations in a manner that suggested a close working relationship. In one video, the two are described as “co-founders” of the charity by Pitch@Palace promotional material.

The Prince’s multiple trips to China between 2016 and 2019—at least six confirmed visits—coincided with a period in which he maintained high-profile international contacts, some of which were controversial. He was scheduled for a seventh visit in December 2020 but was unable to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions, instead sending an apologetic letter on official Buckingham Palace letterhead.

Palace officials are reportedly concerned about the Prince’s interactions with foreign actors, particularly given his past associations with controversial figures such as Jeffrey Epstein. His ongoing connections and willingness to share information via unsecured channels have contributed to fears that sensitive material may have fallen into foreign hands. Emails forwarded by Prince Andrew to Epstein, including internal communications, have reportedly reached US authorities, further complicating the Palace’s ability to manage potential diplomatic or security repercussions.

The Telegraph investigation also highlights that Prince Andrew’s connections extended beyond China. He maintained friendly relations with Saif Gaddafi, the son of the former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity. The Prince was also associated with Tarek Kaituni, a convicted Libyan arms smuggler, Sakher al-Materi, a former Tunisian official described by a British diplomat as highly corrupt, and Timor Kulibayev, the Kazakh businessman who overpaid for the Prince’s former home, Sunninghill Park.

During the Pitch@Palace China events, Prince Andrew’s engagements involved high-profile interactions designed to promote entrepreneurship. He was pictured at multiple events with Yang Tengbo, including bootcamps, award ceremonies, and gala dinners, where the alleged spy’s proximity to the Prince was consistently noted. Yang also helped establish the Chinese branch of Pitch@Palace alongside the Duke in 2016, two years after the UK initiative was launched. Both initiatives are now defunct.

The meetings with Cai Qi and Yang Tengbo occurred at a time when Prince Andrew was actively building international networks through his charitable work. Documents and video footage suggest that his association with these figures was not merely ceremonial but involved substantive discussions on the growth of entrepreneurial programs and the development of business partnerships.

Cai Qi has been described as a spymaster in UK media reports, believed to have received sensitive information allegedly passed to China in the recently collapsed spy case. The nature of the material shared and whether Prince Andrew was knowingly or unknowingly exposed to intelligence-gathering activities remains a matter of concern for security officials.

The investigation underscores a broader pattern of engagement between members of the British royal family and foreign nationals, highlighting potential vulnerabilities in protocols governing such interactions. Prince Andrew’s ability to cultivate trust with individuals linked to espionage, combined with his historical connections to controversial figures, has intensified scrutiny of his public and private activities abroad.

As a result of these revelations, Prince Andrew recently relinquished his Duke of York title. The decision came amid a series of scandals, including renewed attention to his links with Jeffrey Epstein and questions about his international business dealings. Palace officials cited the Prince’s unreliable accounts of past meetings and communications as a significant factor in their decision, reflecting concerns that he could not provide an accurate or secure record of interactions with foreign figures.

This series of events raises pressing questions about the oversight of high-profile international engagements, particularly when charitable initiatives intersect with state actors and potential intelligence operatives. Prince Andrew’s experience exemplifies the challenges faced by institutions when balancing public duties, personal initiatives, and national security considerations.

While the full extent of the Prince’s interactions with alleged Chinese spies remains under investigation, the case has already provoked concern within Buckingham Palace. It is likely to influence discussions on the protocols for royal engagements, including vetting procedures for foreign contacts, guidance on communications security, and the scope of oversight for private initiatives that operate on a global scale.

In summary, Prince Andrew’s encounters with Cai Qi and Yang Tengbo during the 2019 Pitch@Palace China trip illustrate the complex web of relationships that can emerge at the intersection of charity, diplomacy, and international business. As inquiries continue, the revelations serve as a stark reminder of the need for vigilance and accountability in safeguarding national interests while pursuing high-profile initiatives abroad.