LONDON, Dec 17 — A Chinese businessman who became a confidant of disgraced royal Prince Andrew on Monday denied allegations that he was a spy.

"I have done nothing wrong or unlawful and the concerns raised by the Home Office against me are ill-founded. The widespread description of me as a ‘spy’ is entirely untrue,” Yang Tengbo said in a statement.

Yang said he had decided to waive his anonymity and was appealing against a decision to revoke his permission to stay in the UK.

Questions were raised in the UK parliament on Monday after revelations that Yang had close links to Prince Andrew, and had even been invited to the royal’s birthday party.

Judges on Thursday upheld a ban on Yang, who had only been identified as H6, from entering the country, and said the prince’s troubles had left him "vulnerable” to exploitation.

But Yang, who described himself as "independent self-made entrepreneur,” said in his statement that he had "fallen victim” to a changing "political climate”.

"When relations are good, and Chinese investment is sought, I am welcome in the UK. When relations sour, an anti-China stance is taken, and I am excluded,” he said.

He argued that even the judges in their ruling "concluded that there was ‘not an abundance of evidence’ against me,” adding that they had mused "there could be an ‘innocent explanation’ for my activities.” — AFP