London, October 8(HS): Britain’s top prosecutor has revealed that the collapse of a major spy case involving two men accused of espionage for China occurred because the government could not provide evidence defining China as a national security threat at the time of the alleged offences.
Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said prosecutors requested supporting evidence “over many months,” but none of the witness statements confirmed that China was officially considered a national security threat between 2021 and 2023 — a crucial requirement under the Official Secrets Act.
The case against parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash, 30, and Oxfordshire teacher Christopher Berry, 33, both of whom denied the allegations, was dropped in September, raising political controversy. Both men had been accused of gathering and passing information harmful to the UK’s interests.
Parkinson explained in a letter to MPs that after a separate court ruling involving Russian agents broadened the legal definition of an “enemy” to include any state representing a current security threat, further documentation was needed to justify the prosecution under that standard. The government, he said, did not provide such material.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said that officials could rely only on the previous Conservative government’s assessment of China, which in 2022 declared Beijing an “epoch-defining challenge” but stopped short of calling it a “security threat.” Government sources have denied suggestions that evidence was withheld or witnesses restricted.
Downing Street expressed frustration over the case’s collapse but insisted due legal procedures were followed. The Crown Prosecution Service has maintained there was initially enough evidence to bring the charges filed in April 2024, but later developments in law and classification prevented the trial from proceeding.
The issue comes amid Labour’s efforts to reassess UK-China relations. Since taking office, the Starmer government has launched a cross-departmental “audit” of bilateral ties. Foreign Secretary David Lammy visited Beijing in October 2024, advocating “pragmatic cooperation,” while National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in July 2025 in unpublicised talks about stability and long-term engagement.
The government has reiterated that, despite the diplomatic thaw, it continues to safeguard national security while pursuing a balanced approach in its dealings with Beijing.
Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
