Latest news with #Dragons'Den-style
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chinese ‘spy': I risked my reputation by supporting Prince Andrew
An alleged Chinese spy said he took a 'significant risk' to his reputation by continuing to support Prince Andrew after his disastrous Newsnight interview, documents have revealed. Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK on national security grounds, said he maintained 'loyalty and commitment' to the Duke despite the royal's general 'negative' perception in China. Yang was forced to leave the country on national security grounds in March 2023 and unsuccessfully challenged the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission last year. UK authorities have alleged that he formed an 'unusual degree of trust' with the Duke and developed relationships with politicians to be 'leveraged' by China. On Friday, a secrecy order preventing the release of some documents linked to the case was lifted in the public interest after an application by publications, including The Telegraph. Among the newly published documents is a second witness statement from Yang, where he denied 'scheming to destabilise the UK' and said he was 'confused' as to why the British state believed he was a threat. Yang appears to have targeted the Duke through his Pitch@Palace initiative, a Dragons' Den-style competition launched in 2014, and he was later appointed to lead its Chinese arm, Pitch@Palace China, when it was launched two years later. In the 37-page statement, Yang said that Pitch@Palace China had been 'recognised as one of the top international entrepreneur and start-up platforms in the country' but that after the Duke's November 2019 interview with Emily Mailtis, 'everything changed'. 'Following that interview, all international partners of Pitch pulled out or distanced themselves from it,' he said. 'The Pitch Global team moved from their offices out of Buckingham Palace. But the intention was to maintain Pitch in some form.' He said Amanda Thirsk, the Duke's private secretary and the director of the Pitch@Palace initiative, asked whether he would continue to support the project, 'especially given the success we had achieved in China', and that he decided to do so despite believing it posed a risk. 'At a significant risk for me and my business reputationally, I agreed to continue to support Amanda and Pitch,' he said. 'I admired and respected the Duke in how engaged and passionate he was about supporting Chinese entrepreneurs. I felt I had also invested a huge amount of time, effort, and money into Pitch China and did not want that investment to go to waste.' The new documents included a witness statement from Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to Prince Andrew, that claimed the King held secret meetings with the Duke about his plans for a Chinese investment scheme run by Yang. Mr Hampshire claimed that the King was aware of an investment fund in which Yang was directly involved. Yang told the tribunal that he first met the Duke at a dinner in St James's Palace in 2014, having been introduced to Ms Thirsk by Sir Ron Dennis, the Formula 1 executive. Earlier in the statement, Yang said on setting up Pitch in China, the initiative was 'unknown there, and the Duke's reputation was fairly negative and based on reporting taken from the British media'. He said he persuaded others to 'take a risk alongside me and invest in what was essentially a start-up'. In his statement, Yang said that during his time working with the Duke, he had very little contact with him and could not have influenced the Duke. 'There would literally be no way I could possibly exert any unwanted influence on his team, or him. If anything, I was using my own networks and understanding of China to help with Pitch build[ing] a positive brand in China,' he said. He said being a representative of the Chinese business community in the UK meant meeting members of the Chinese Communist Party was 'unavoidable' but 'this does not mean I am working for this organisation, for its interests, or on its behalf'. 'I am definitively not scheming to destabilise the UK or its institutions or prominent individuals, and I am not acting against the national interests of the UK. I am not a threat to the security of the UK, and I feel very insulted to be accused of this and without seeing any material evidence against me to support this.' He later added: 'I am confused as to why the British state believes I am a threat to the public good on the grounds of national security.' Yang said that concerns about the 48 Group, which promotes trade between the UK and China and of which he is a member, were 'paranoid and far-fetched'. He said it was wrong to accuse him of spying and his 'prominent status as a successful Chinese entrepreneur in the UK' was 'nothing to do with me wanting to get access or exert influence in the UK '. 'I feel that the government completely misunderstands me and what I do. I don't deceive, I don't mislead, and I don't hide things to interfere with the interests of the UK.' Yang also claimed that the Duke had wanted him to become involved with a golf tournament and told him to contact Mr Hampshire during a dinner at Buckingham Palace in October 2019. 'During that dinner, the Duke said I should contact Dominic who runs his golf tournament,' Yang wrote. 'He said there may be opportunities to work with him on golf like we had done with Amanda for Pitch. The Duke wrote Dominic's number down on a piece of paper and I then reached out to Dominic.' Yang also suggested that the Duke wanted to keep a relationship with Chinese business in August 2021 because he 'needed money' Yang said that when the new ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, came to the UK, Hampshire was 'involved in the preparation of the talking points' of a call. He said the 'purpose of the note was to keep the Duke engaged without promising anything in terms of financial benefit because the Duke needed money at the time, and saw the relationships with China through Pitch as one possible source of funding.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
06-04-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Chinese ‘spy': I risked my reputation by supporting Prince Andrew
An alleged Chinese spy said he took a 'significant risk' to his reputation by continuing to support Prince Andrew after his disastrous Newsnight interview, documents have revealed. Yang Tengbo, who was banned from the UK on national security grounds, said he maintained 'loyalty and commitment' to the Duke despite the royal's general 'negative' perception in China. Yang was forced to leave the country on national security grounds in March 2023 and unsuccessfully challenged the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission last year. UK authorities have alleged that he formed an 'unusual degree of trust' with the Duke and developed relationships with politicians to be 'leveraged' by China. Pitch@Palace initiative On Friday, a secrecy order preventing the release of some documents linked to the case was lifted in the public interest after an application by publications, including The Telegraph. Among the newly published documents is a second witness statement from Yang, where he denied 'scheming to destabilise the UK' and said he was 'confused' as to why the British state believed he was a threat. Yang appears to have targeted the Duke through his Pitch@Palace initiative, a Dragons' Den-style competition launched in 2014, and he was later appointed to lead its Chinese arm, Pitch@Palace China, when it was launched two years later. In the 37-page statement, Yang said that Pitch@Palace China had been 'recognised as one of the top international entrepreneur and start-up platforms in the country' but that after the Duke's November 2019 interview with Emily Mailtis, 'everything changed'. 'Following that interview, all international partners of Pitch pulled out or distanced themselves from it,' he said. 'The Pitch Global team moved from their offices out of Buckingham Palace. But the intention was to maintain Pitch in some form.' He said Amanda Thirsk, the Duke's private secretary and the director of the Pitch@Palace initiative, asked whether he would continue to support the project, 'especially given the success we had achieved in China', and that he decided to do so despite believing it posed a risk. 'At a significant risk for me and my business reputationally, I agreed to continue to support Amanda and Pitch,' he said. 'I admired and respected the Duke in how engaged and passionate he was about supporting Chinese entrepreneurs. I felt I had also invested a huge amount of time, effort, and money into Pitch China and did not want that investment to go to waste.' The new documents included a witness statement from Dominic Hampshire, a senior adviser to Prince Andrew, that claimed the King held secret meetings with the Duke about his plans for a Chinese investment scheme run by Yang. Mr Hampshire claimed that the King was aware of an investment fund in which Yang was directly involved. 'I am not a threat to UK security' Yang told the tribunal that he first met the Duke at a dinner in St James's Palace in 2014, having been introduced to Ms Thirsk by Sir Ron Dennis, the Formula 1 executive. Earlier in the statement, Yang said on setting up Pitch in China, the initiative was 'unknown there, and the Duke's reputation was fairly negative and based on reporting taken from the British media'. He said he persuaded others to 'take a risk alongside me and invest in what was essentially a start-up'. In his statement, Yang said that during his time working with the Duke, he had very little contact with him and could not have influenced the Duke. 'There would literally be no way I could possibly exert any unwanted influence on his team, or him. If anything, I was using my own networks and understanding of China to help with Pitch build[ing] a positive brand in China,' he said. He said being a representative of the Chinese business community in the UK meant meeting members of the Chinese Communist Party was 'unavoidable' but 'this does not mean I am working for this organisation, for its interests, or on its behalf'. 'I am definitively not scheming to destabilise the UK or its institutions or prominent individuals, and I am not acting against the national interests of the UK. I am not a threat to the security of the UK, and I feel very insulted to be accused of this and without seeing any material evidence against me to support this.' He later added: 'I am confused as to why the British state believes I am a threat to the public good on the grounds of national security.' 'I don't deceive, I don't mislead' Yang said that concerns about the 48 Group, which promotes trade between the UK and China and of which he is a member, were 'paranoid and far-fetched'. He said it was wrong to accuse him of spying and his ' prominent status as a successful Chinese entrepreneur in the UK' was 'nothing to do with me wanting to get access or exert influence in the UK '. 'I feel that the government completely misunderstands me and what I do. I don't deceive, I don't mislead, and I don't hide things to interfere with the interests of the UK.' Yang also claimed that the Duke had wanted him to become involved with a golf tournament and told him to contact Mr Hampshire during a dinner at Buckingham Palace in October 2019. 'During that dinner, the Duke said I should contact Dominic who runs his golf tournament,' Yang wrote. 'He said there may be opportunities to work with him on golf like we had done with Amanda for Pitch. The Duke wrote Dominic's number down on a piece of paper and I then reached out to Dominic.' Yang also suggested that the Duke wanted to keep a relationship with Chinese business in August 2021 because he 'needed money' Yang said that when the new ambassador, Zheng Zeguang, came to the UK, Hampshire was 'involved in the preparation of the talking points' of a call. He said the 'purpose of the note was to keep the Duke engaged without promising anything in terms of financial benefit because the Duke needed money at the time, and saw the relationships with China through Pitch as one possible source of funding.'
Telegraph
21-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Prince Andrew ‘Chinese spy' documents must be made public
Private documents relating to the Duke of York's senior adviser and his contact with an alleged Chinese spy must be made public, a tribunal has ruled. Dominic Hampshire, a close friend of the Duke, provided a witness statement following the exclusion of Yang Tengbo from the UK. Mr Yang was forced to leave the country on national security grounds in March 2023 and unsuccessfully challenged the decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission last year. UK authorities have alleged that he formed an 'unusual degree of trust' with the Duke and developed relationships with politicians to be 'leveraged' by China. Mr Yang has previously said the allegation that he is a spy is 'entirely untrue', and has denied doing anything unlawful. At a hearing in February, media organisations, including The Telegraph, asked for the disclosure of key documents in the case, including Mr Hampshire's statement. Three judges ruled on Friday that the witness statement, and some commercial information related to Mr Yang, could be disclosed. 'Cannot possibly be said to be confidential' In a 25-page judgment, Mr Justice Bourne, sitting with Judge Stephen Smith and Sir Stewart Eldon, said: 'Substantial parts of the witness statement contain material which cannot possibly be said to be confidential, such as information about Mr Hampshire's background or about how he came to know Mr Yang. 'There are also comments about Mr Hampshire's work with the Duke, which might seem embarrassing or indiscreet, but they are not such as to give rise to the inference that a legal duty of confidentiality attaches to them.' Mr Hampshire's lawyers had attempted to argue that some parts of his evidence should remain private. At the tribunal, they said he had been 'assured' by Mr Yang's lawyers that his statement would remain confidential and so did not seek his own legal advice before writing it. Adam Wolanski KC, representing the various media outlets, said it was 'bewildering' that someone in Mr Hampshire's position had not taken any guidance from lawyers. The judges also ruled that commercial information relating to Mr Yang's business dealings could be published. They said: 'There is substantial public interest in reporting of international trading activity involving UK companies and in any involvement of any member of the Royal family in that activity.' Documents should be provided by April 4 Mr Yang has said he first met Prince Andrew at a dinner at St James's Palace in 2014, having been introduced to Amanda Thirsk, the Duke's private secretary, by Sir Ron Dennis, the Formula 1 executive. He appears to have targeted the Duke through Pitch@Palace, the Dragons' Den-style initiative he launched that year, and was later appointed to lead Pitch@Palace China, launched two years later. In March 2020, Mr Hampshire wrote to Mr Yang on Buckingham Palace headed notepaper, thanking him for standing by the Duke in the aftermath of the November 2019 Newsnight interview that saw the royal forced to step back from public duties. He said: 'We have dealt with the aftermath of a hugely ill-advised and unsuccessful television interview, we have wisely navigated our way around former private secretaries and we have found a way to carefully remove those people who we don't completely trust. 'Moreover, in what originally seemed like a lost cause, you have somehow managed to not only salvage but maintain and then incredibly, enhance the reputation of my principal in China.' That month, Mr Yang was invited by Mr Hampshire to the Duke's 60th birthday 'as someone who had stood by him through hard times'. The tribunal said the documents should be provided to the press by April 4.
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Surrey: Spelthorne entrepreneurs offered chance to win £4k prize
Budding entrepreneurs in Surrey have been offered the chance to win £4,000 to help launch their winner of the Spelthorne Business Plan Competition will also receive a package of mentoring and in its 11th year, the competition is being run by the Spelthorne Business Forum (SBF) after previous leader, former Spelthorne MP Kwasi Kwarteng, stepped chair Tracey Carter said the forum was "honoured to take the reins of this incredible initiative and build on its legacy". Spelthorne residents aged 16 and over are invited to apply, with entrepreneurs set to pitch their ideas at a Dragons' Den-style final in Sunbury on Friday 27 Carter added: "The competition embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of Spelthorne, and we look forward to working with passionate local businesses to help their ideas flourish."Submissions can be made from 17 February until 14 April, 2025.
Sky News
12-02-2025
- Business
- Sky News
Buckingham Palace was involved in meeting about Prince Andrew's private funding, Sky News learns
Buckingham Palace was involved in a meeting about the future of Prince Andrew's tech project Pitch@Palace Global, as part of discussions about his future funding, Sky News has learned. In recent weeks, documents released as part of court proceedings involving an alleged Chinese spy, Yang Tengbo, have thrown light on the extent to which the Duke of York and his advisors have been keen to resurrect his Dragons' Den-style project as a "possible source of funding". The palace has in the past insisted it was not involved in Prince Andrew's financial matters, saying they were private because he was no longer a working member of the royal family. But it is now understood that last summer, at a time when King Charles was still funding his brother, a meeting took place with Startupbootcamp, a Dutch company that funds startup businesses around the world, that was interested in the Pitch@Palace Global network. While the King's advisors were not involved in negotiating any details of a potential deal, it appears they were keen to get reassurances that any future links would not cause problems for the wider royal family. The King no longer provides financial support to his brother. Described as "Dragons' Den-style" events for tech startups, Pitch@Palace was set up in 2014 and seen as Prince Andrew's charitable project, helping connect entrepreneurs with potential investors. But a Pitch@Palace Global private company was also set up in 2017. In 2019, Prince Andrew was forced to step away from public life following an interview about his links to Jeffrey Epstein. Sky News has seen documents released as part of the recent Chinese spy investigation that show, since 2019, the Duke's intention to carry on with Pitch@Palace in some form. A document dated 21 August 2021 clearly states the Duke needed money at the time, and "saw the relationships with China through Pitch as one possible source of funding". And as late as 22 May 2024, Mr Yang says in a further document: "The intention is still to resurrect the Pitch program, under the new brand and name, Innovate Global." This week there have been reports the Duke's youngest daughter, Princess Eugenie, attended an event in Tokyo last year, run by Innovate Global and Startup bootcamp, the company the palace had its meeting with last summer.
