3 men charged in the UK with assisting the Hong Kong intelligence service

LONDON (AP) — The office manager of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London and two other men appeared in court Monday on charges that they helped Hong Kong’s intelligence service gather information in Britain, amid growing concern hostile states are trying to interfere with democracy and economic activity in the U.K.

Chi Leung (Peter) Wai, 38, Matthew Trickett, 37, and Chung Biu Yuen, 63, were granted bail during a brief hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. The men, who sat side-by-side in the glass-fronted dock, spoke only to confirm their identities. The Hong Kong government said one of the suspects was the office manager of the trade office, but he wasn’t identified by name.

Police allege that between Dec. 20 and May 2, Yuen, Wai and Trickett agreed to engage in information gathering, surveillance and acts of deception that were likely to materially assist the Hong Kong intelligence service. The charges include allegations that the men broke into a residence on May 1.