'Useful Idiot': Prince Andrew Under Fire Over Alleged Trips to China to Promote London-Beijing Ties

During one of the alleged visits to China in 2018, the Duke of York purportedly praised the country's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive infrastructure project to connect Asia to European markets.

Prince Andrew has been slammed over his alleged eight visits to China between 2010 and 2019, during which he allegedly called for closer cooperation between Beijing and London.

Mareike Ohlberg, co-author of the book "Hidden Hand", released in 2020 and focuses on the Chinese Communist Party's purported attempts to influence opinions abroad, told the Daily Mail that "Prince Andrew is a classic 'useful idiot' and seemingly allows himself to be used".

Ohlberg was echoed by senior Tory lawmaker Sir Iain Duncan who said "it is unfortunate that Prince Andrew appears to have been used this way".

According to the Daily Mail, the Duke of York made the visits on behalf of his Pitch@Palace business mentoring initiative after he was allegedly invited by the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs (CPIFA).

The group reportedly answers to the United Front Work Department (UFWD), China's intelligence and propaganda unit, which is accused by MI5 of being involved in "foreign interference" and seeking to "corrupt and coerce" British politicians.

As for Prince Andrew's purported eight visits to China, it reportedly includes one in 2018, which saw the Duke of York touting Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), or the "New Silk Road". This global strategy was okayed by the Chinese government in 2013 to expand the country's economic and political clout through financing multiple infrastructure and development projects in nearly 70 countries and international organisations.

The "useful idiot" remarks come as Queen Elizabeth II's second son remains embroiled in a sexual abuse scandal involving Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims that in 2001, when she was 17, the now-late convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew several times, allegations the Duke of York rejects.

Earlier in January, a US court refused to dismiss a civil lawsuit filed by Giuffre in August 2021 and ordered the prince to testify under oath. This was followed by the Queen revoking the Duke of York's "His Royal Highness" title and some military ranks.