The UK Government acknowledged China poses a "series of threats to national security" as ministers faced continued pressure over the collapse of a high-profile espionage case. Security minister Dan Jarvis blamed the previous Conservative administration and outdated legislation for the Crown Prosecution Service's decision to abandon the prosecution.
Charges against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher, were dropped last month after the director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson said the Government failed to provide evidence supporting the assertion that China represented a national security threat. The case collapse prompted fury across the political divide.
Government blames predecessor
Jarvis told MPs that "every effort was made to provide evidence to support this case" within the constraints of the previous government's reluctance to classify China as a national security threat. He said "the decision about whether to proceed with the prosecution was ultimately taken by the CPS, who were hamstrung by antiquated legislation that had not been updated by the previous Conservative government".
Setting out the current Government's position, Jarvis said: "We fully recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, yet we must also be alive to the fact that China does present us with opportunities." He noted that China is the world's second-largest economy and, together with Hong Kong, the UK's third-largest trading partner.
The minister outlined a strategic approach involving close coordination with Five Eyes allies to build collective resilience against Chinese threats whilst developing pragmatic economic engagement without compromising national security. He emphasised the need for long-term planning and investment in intelligence services whilst maintaining an unequivocal position on human rights.
Opposition challenges ministers
Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch urged ministers to "admit it" if they decided that "closer economic ties with China were more important than due process and national security". She questioned whether ministers truly knew nothing about the case until its collapse, saying: "Is it seriously the Government's argument that no minister knew anything about this until the trial collapsed?"
Badenoch defended her party's record, telling MPs that the 2021 integrated review described China as "the biggest state-based threat to the UK's economic security" and the 2023 review called China a "threat" several times. She noted that former security minister Tom Tugendhat had warned China "poses a serious threat" from the despatch box.
Ministers hit back at criticism
Jarvis described Badenoch's contribution as a "whole series of baseless smears" and referenced her comments at last year's Conservative Party conference when she said she had "shied away from calling China a threat". He quoted from Badenoch's September 2023 Sky News interview when she said: "We certainly should not be describing China as a foe but we can describe it as a challenge."
Economic concerns denied
The Government strongly rejected suggestions that it influenced the case's collapse due to concerns about Chinese investment. The Sunday Times reported that the Treasury and national security adviser Jonathan Powell had pushed for the case to be withdrawn, fearing China might withdraw investment from the UK.
Downing Street robustly denied these claims, with the Prime Minister's official spokesman calling the suggestions "entirely false". He added: "There was no role for any member of this Government, no minister, or special adviser, to take any decision in relation to this case. That is entirely for the CPS."
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
