UK Security Officials to Face Questions Over Dropped China Case

Top UK security officials will face questions about a collapsed Chinese spy case brought by the prosecutor as he also seeks to rebuild economic ties with the country.

The case against Christopher Berry and Christopher Cash, who were indicted last year for allegedly spying for China between 2021 and 2023, was dropped last month.

A government spokesman reported in the Sunday Times that there was involvement by senior UK government officials, including national security adviser Jonathan Powell, who torpedoed the case.

Powell agreed to give evidence to Parliament’s Joint Committee on the UK’s National Security Strategy in June. While the committee’s investigation is about broader strategy, it is expected to ask about the collapsed case, according to a person familiar with the matter.

A date has not yet been decided, but Powell said it could appear before the committee within weeks, adding that a report is unlikely to be released until next year. Such documents usually summarize evidence heard in private and do not directly quote what was said.

Senior officers from the local MI5 are also expected to give evidence to Parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee about their involvement in the case, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named discussing the closed-door proceedings.

The Crown Prosecution Service said the case was dropped because it no longer met the evidentiary test, although it concluded there was sufficient evidence to prosecute when he was charged last year.

Regarding an opposition MP obtained by Bloomberg, his director wrote that “there was no explanation or pressure and I can give you my own assurance that this is the case.”

The Sunday Times report had said the CPS’ decision was made after officials decided the evidence at the hearing would work in line with the national security strategy, which describes China as a ‘geostrategic challenge’ rather than a ‘threat’ or ‘enemy’.

Starmer’s Office said on Monday that suggestions of state intervention in the case were “all wrong”. Home Affairs Minister Shabana Mahmood told the BBC she was “very disappointed” in the collapse and rejected ministerial intervention.

“Our understanding is that the evidence presented to the Crown Prosecution Service when they brought the charges was not significantly different from the evidence they had immediately before the trial,” he added.

Starmer is trying to improve relations with Beijing as part of his challenge to boost Britain’s economic growth. The two countries resumed joint economic and trade commission talks last month after a seven-year break.

Later this month, UK ministers are expected to make a long-awaited decision on whether China’s plans for a new embassy in London can go ahead.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to the text.