Exclusive:
Mandarin speakers are being offered starting salaries of £37-43,000 at MI5 and MI6 in London, as well as at GCHQ in Cheltenham and Manchester – to ‘help safeguard the UK’
Spymasters are recruiting Mandarin speakers following the Prince Andrew spy scandal.
They are being offered starting salaries of £37-43,000 at MI5 and MI6 in London, as well as at GCHQ in Cheltenham and Manchester.
The advert says successful applicants will “be able to identify nuances and seek out key information” that will “help shape and influence Government policy”.
It adds: “Your knowledge of the Mandarin language, as well as your in-depth understanding of Chinese culture, ideology, and politics will be a significant asset in helping to safeguard the UK.”
Spooks are expected to begin interviews for the roles this month in the wake of the storm over Prince Andrew’s links to a businessman branded a Chinese government agent.
The Duke of York, 64, did not join other royals over Christmas because of the fallout. His ties to Yang Tengbo, 50, were exposed last month when the UK’s security court upheld a decision to ban Tengbo from the UK.
Tengbo reportedly referred to himself as the “special envoy of Prince Andrew” and met the Duke twice at Buckingham Palace in 2018. He is said to have been invited by the Prince to St James’s Palace and Windsor Castle.
Tengbo denies being a spy and both he and Andrew deny any wrongdoing.
