However, the one overarching reason Hong Kong is considered a centre of espionage is its unique legal and immigration systems which make the city an ideal hub for the collection and exchange of sensitive and secret information.

No visa is required for travellers from more than 100 countries and regions worldwide to enter, and unlike the mainland – which recently widened the scope of its counter-espionage laws – Hong Kong does not define espionage as a crime.

www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-crime/article/2129570/ex-cia-agents-arrest-adds-hong-kongs-long-reputation-spying