The UK government has published key witness statements revealing that China is engaged in “large scale espionage” against the UK, following the collapse of a spy case against two British nationals. Prime Minister Keir Starmer released the documents to counter allegations of political interference and explain why the prosecution was dropped.
The witness statements, submitted by Deputy National Security Adviser Matthew Collins, outline the extent of Chinese espionage activities, describing China as the “biggest state-based threat to the UK’s economic security.” In one statement, Collins warned that Chinese intelligence services conduct operations that “harm the interests and security of the UK,” including hacking the Electoral Commission and targeting MPs’ emails in 2021. These revelations come from three statements released on Wednesday night, with the most recent from August 2025 emphasizing the ongoing threat and the government’s commitment to a “positive economic relationship” with China, while acknowledging espionage risks.
The case involved Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, an academic, who were charged under the Official Secrets Act for allegedly spying for China between December 2021 and February 2023. They denied all accusations, and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the charges last month, citing insufficient evidence that China posed a “threat to national security” at the time of the alleged offenses. This decision followed a legal precedent set in an unrelated spy case earlier this year, which required such a designation for prosecution under the old legislation.
Political tensions have escalated, with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch accusing Starmer of a “cover-up,” suggesting the government withheld evidence to protect economic relations with China. Starmer vehemently denied this at Prime Minister’s Questions, blaming the previous Conservative administration for not updating legislation that could have enabled the prosecution. He argued that the case collapsed due to the Tories’ failure, not any intervention from his government, and released the statements to provide transparency and draw a line under the row.
The published statements include alleged communications between Cash and Berry, with one message from Cash warning, “You’re in spy territory now,” indicating awareness of espionage activities. Cash, in a response statement, maintained his innocence, arguing that the public documents lack context that would have been presented in court and that he has been placed in an “impossible situation.” Berry has not commented recently, but both men have consistently denied any wrongdoing, and China’s foreign ministry dismissed the allegations as “fabricated” and part of an “anti-China political farce.”
The CPS director, Stephen Parkinson, reportedly told MPs that the evidence was “5% short” of what was needed for a conviction, leading to questions about the prosecution’s handling and whether political pressure influenced the outcome. Conservatives pointed to Collins’s statements as proof of the threat China poses, while government ministers like Stephen Kinnock defended the CPS’s independence and denied any interference. The release of the statements has not fully quelled the controversy, with MPs from both sides calling for further scrutiny of the decision-making process.
Looking ahead, the head of MI5 is expected to detail China’s threats in an upcoming security update, and parliamentary committees continue to investigate the affair. The government insists that the CPS acted independently, but this incident underscores the challenges in balancing national security concerns with diplomatic and economic ties to China. It also highlights the legal complexities of prosecuting espionage cases under outdated laws, with implications for future similar prosecutions and UK-China relations.