Former British spy and European Commission official investigated for allegedly passing secrets to China

The alleged spying occurred by a former member of the European Commission. 

Credit: YVES HERMAN/REUTERS

A former British spy and European Commission official is being investigated by Belgian security services for allegedly spying for China.

Fraser Cameron, understood to be a former member of MI6, Britain’s overseas intelligence agency, is alleged to have passed secrets to Chinese spies in return for payments running into thousands of Euros.

Mr Cameron, director of the EU-Asia Centre, a think tank, denies the allegations.

The Chinese nationals, accredited in Brussels as journalists, are thought to be members of the Chinese Ministry of State Security and the Chinese military, according to Politico.

Mr Cameron’s claim that his relationship with the Chinese nationals was purely professional and in accordance with his work at the EU-Asia Centre, is understood to have been dismissed by British and Belgian authorities working on the case.

The Telegraph understands a joint operation by MI5 and Belgian security services has resulted in an ‘MI5 Espionage Alert’ being issued to EU institutions warning Mr Cameron is an agent of the Chinese state.

MI5 only issues espionage alerts when significant security concerns have been raised about specific acts likely to cause severe harm to the states involved.  

One reason for taking such action may be because espionage is currently not treated as a crime under a Belgian law dating back to the 1930s. Public prosecutors in the country have long called for the law to be updated.   

According to Politico the federal prosecutor’s office has started an investigation into Mr Cameron’s activities. Mr Cameron has said the allegations “are without foundation”.

He further explained that he has “a wide range of Chinese contacts as part of my duties with the EU-Asia Centre and some of them may have a double function”.

He added: “I retired 15 years ago from any official employment and have zero access to any sensitive information”. 

Describing money the EU-Asia Centre receives from the Chinese diplomatic mission to the EU as “a small annual grant” he said the funds were used to organise events to further EU-China relations. “This is the only funding received from the Chinese,” he said. 

It is understood Mr Cameron is being investigated for allegedly passing on political and economic information relating to EU institutions. This activity is thought to have been going on for some years, but it is unclear if this included the period when Mr Cameron worked at the European Commission prior to his retirement in 2006. 

Brussels has been viewed as a hot-bed of espionage activity for years.

As well as being a diplomatic hub hosting many EU institutions, the city is also home to Nato headquarters. Russian intelligence officials are also thought to be very active in Brussels.  

Belgian’s outdated espionage law means prosecutors have to cite other criminal offences in order to press charges. In 2018 former Belgian diplomat Oswald Gantois was convicted of illegal association with the purpose of committing forgery. He had been investigated for passing secrets to Russian spies throughout his career. 

British authorities are currently seeking to update the Official Secrets Act, believing it to be out of date. Written at the time of the First World War it still retains references to the ‘enemy’. Officials want this changed to ‘foreign power’ in a bid to extend the scope of the legislation. 

The government is planning for terrorist groups and ‘entities’ such as businesses controlled by a foreign government to be more easily covered by the law in the future.