China has likely spied on Burnham for YEARS as he plotted No10 coup & know PM’s next moves before he does, expert warns

CHINA’s network of top-secret spies has been tracking Andy Burnham’s every move for years, an intelligence expert has warned. Beijing knows the new Prime Minister’s next moves before even he does, intelligence analyst and cybersecurity expert Ryan McBeth claims. China’s network of top- secret spies has been tracking Andy Burnham’s every move for years, an intelligence expert has warned Credit: Reuters Dozens of Chinese spies have been known to operate on British soil Credit: Alamy The intelligence analyst and cybersecurity expert told The Sun: “China has likely had a file on Prime Minister Andy Burnham for years. “It’s almost certain that China’s already developed a profile not just on the Prime Minister, but on his inner circle. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! “Where they go, what they do, and when they do it.” Ryan says that Beijing, like many global superpowers, will have a detailed file of information on almost every world leader. China has around 5,000 people working in information warfare trying to build up as strong a profile on key players as possible, according to Ryan. One of the units is reportedly known to keep Taiwan and its political figures under constant surveillance. At least three other Chinese “battalions” are engaged in information warfare and intelligence collection around the globe, Ryan claims. This means that hundreds of secret operatives are feared to be searching for information on Brits – especially new figures such as Burnham. Most read in The Sun For years, Burnham was talked about as the next leader of the Labour Party when he impressed during his time as Greater Manchester mayor. As pressure piled on Sir Keir Starmer earlier this year and he announced his resignation, Burnham was the first and only name tipped to replace him. Beijing may well know Burnham’s every move – including bus journeys Credit: Getty Xi Jinping likely has a detailed file of information on almost every world leader, The Sun has been told Credit: Reuters He took office on Monday and already has plans to shake up British politics for good. But Ryan believes that China would have had its eyes on him for years now – even before his PM dreams were so widely publicised. He said: “China knows a lot about your Prime Minister. They have likely been tracking him for years. “They most likely have courses of action for him that they know what he is going to do, perhaps even before he knows he’s going to do it.” The intelligence expert, who even believes there is a folder on himself due to his public speaking on security issues on YouTube, also detailed how they could get information on a figure like Burnham. “It’s possible that some of his inner circle might be tracked, perhaps not his entire family,” he said. “Tracking his inner circle either through intelligence means or intelligence collection with human intelligence, getting to know people in his inner circle, or getting to know people who are ancillary to his inner circle could all be done. “And they’re almost certainly using electronic means such as evaluating social media posts.” David Taylor, 39, married to East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Joani Reid was accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service earlier this year Credit: Facebook Suspected Chinese spy Yang Tengbo alongside Andrew Social media tracking has the ability to tell a hacker your exact location through phone data. This can help people get information on what time a person is awake, when they go to sleep and when they go to lunch. Ryan also warned that Wi-Fi information could be collected from a phone just like how supermarkets access user data to send out offers and coupons. Dozens of Chinese spies living in the UK have been reported in recent years – including several who had close ties to No 10. Three political advisers were arrested earlier this year on suspicion of spying for China, the Metropolitan Police said. David Taylor, 39, married to East Kilbride and Strathaven MP Joani Reid was accused of assisting a foreign intelligence service. She was reported by a fellow MP who said they were concerned information regarding the UK’s nuclear deterrent could have ended up in China’s hands. Also arrested included former Welsh Government special adviser Steve Jones, 68, and ex-Labour press officer Matthew Aplin, 43. All three deny the claims and refute any suggestions they had links to China. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor was also caught up in worrying Chinese spy claims over his friendship with 50-year-old Yang Tengbo. During a past tribunal hearing, judges found Yang had not been honest about his links to the Chinese state. This meant he could exploit his relationship with the former duke and other high-ranking public figures such as ex-Prime Ministers David Cameron and Theresa May. In a statement, Yang said he had done “nothing wrong or unlawful” and descriptions of him as an alleged spy were “entirely untrue”. 1 comment1