China says MI6 recruited state workers to spy for UK

British and Chinese flags displayed at Tiananmen Square in Beijing. [AFP]

China on Monday accused Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) of recruiting a couple who worked for the central government to spy for the UK, adding to months of mutual espionage allegations between Beijing and Western powers.

The Ministry of State Security said in a post on its official WeChat that MI6 operatives convinced a man surnamed Wang, who worked in a "core confidential role" in the central state apparatus, to defect along with his wife, surnamed Zhou.