A firm listed on the Hong Kong exchange issued a statement in an attempt to clear its name following claims of its involvement in Chinese intelligence and espionage activities in the city.
China Innovation Investment Limited (CIIL) said in a statement that both the firm alongside its chairman and chief executive Xiang Xin were not involved in the alleged clandestine operations based on recent news reports involving Wang Liqiang who claimed to be one of the agents employed by the firm.
«The board hereby solemnly clarifies that the relevant content of [Xiang] and the company's participation in intelligence and espionage activities in these news reports is purely false and has no factual basis and is completely false,» said CIIL, which on its website said it is an investment holding company involved in energy storage products, lighting products, energy saving and media terminals.
«[Xiang] and the company have never participated in any intelligence or espionage activities. The protagonist of the news reports, the person who claimed to be Wang Liqiang, has never been an employee of the group. The company has already referred the matter to the company’s lawyer and will consider taking practical legal action.»
Wang Liqiang
Over the weekend, jarring accusations were made by Wang who claimed that the Chinese Communist Party was conducting various intelligence activities throughout Asia Pacific.
In Hong Kong, Wang claimed to be an employee of CIIL, listed in 2002, where had personal involvement in operations such as the kidnapping and abduction of bookseller, Lee Bo; cyberattacks against Hong Kong dissidents; and infiltration into all universities including student associations and the requirement of mainland students. He named CIIL chairman Xiang not only as his boss but as a senior intelligence operative for the Chinese government.
«We sent some students to join the student association and they pretended to support Hong Kong independence,» Wang said. «They found out information about those pro-independence activists […] and made public all their personal data, their parents’ and family members.»
Wang also made other claims about operations in Taiwan and Australia, where he is currently seeking political asylum through discussions with counter-espionage agency ASIO (Australian Security Intelligence Organisation).
