World · Europe · 17 hrs ago
Businessman accused of spying for China sought information on UK MPs
John Miller allegedly sought information on seven UK lawmakers who had criticized Beijing over the treatment of Uyghur Muslims.
The lawmakers included Tom Tugendhat and Iain Duncan Smith, and Beijing had sanctioned them for their campaigning.
Miller asked former Scotland Yard detective Keith Hunter’s firm to investigate their integrity and personal, business or historical backgrounds.
The firm produced only brief biographies from public information, and there is no suggestion it acted unlawfully or knew of Miller’s alleged China links.
Miller is accused of spying for China and trying to obtain US weapons for the Chinese military with his alleged handler, Cui Guanghai.
The pair fled house arrest in Serbia for Beijing while awaiting extradition to the US, and have not been seen since; the sources give no further developments.
John Miller, a British businessman accused of spying for China, asked a private investigation firm to gather information on seven UK parliamentarians critical of Beijing.
The MPs and peers had been sanctioned by China for campaigning against the persecution of Uyghur Muslims.
Messages reported by the Daily Mail indicate Miller wanted information on Tom Tugendhat and Iain Duncan Smith to impress the client.
The work was commissioned for Fise Technology, a Hong Kong company owned by Miller’s alleged handler, Cui Guanghai.
Miller and Cui were arrested in Belgrade in April 2025 over alleged attempts to procure weapons for China, then fled house arrest and went to Beijing.
- Who
- John Miller, a British businessman accused of spying for China, and private investigator Keith Hunter.
- What
- Miller asked Hunter’s firm to compile information on seven parliamentarians critical of Beijing.
- When
- The messages about the proposed work date from 2018 to 2023. Miller and Cui Guanghai were arrested in April 2025.
- Where
- The investigation concerned UK parliamentarians; Miller and Cui were arrested in Belgrade.
- Why
- The MPs and peers had been sanctioned by Beijing for campaigning against the persecution of Uyghur Muslims. Miller said information on two of them was needed to impress the client.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
More than 9,000 messages between Miller and associates were exchanged.
Miller and Cui Guanghai were arrested in Belgrade in an FBI sting over alleged attempts to obtain weapons for China.
Miller told Hunter another team had supplied financial information and phone records, and that the client had closed the case with Animus.
Miller and Cui fled house arrest and boarded a private jet to Beijing.
- People targeted
- Seven UK parliamentarians
- Investigation firm
- Animus Associates Ltd
- Client
- Fise Technology, a Hong Kong company owned by Cui Guanghai
- Information produced
- Brief biographies based on publicly available information
- Arrest location and date
- Belgrade, April 2025
- Alleged FBI payment to informant
- £111,000; DiFiore said he had not received it
What people are saying
I am astonished. Nobody has informed me that this was happening, that I was being targeted by this nodding donkey of the Chinese, who has now fled the country.
It doesn't have to be dirt.
We understand that we need to look at integrity and credibility issues against all of them but is this including anything in their home lives, business, historic?
The FBI burnt me in a court document, and did not pay me the $150,000 they owed me.