Authorities publishes key witness statements in collapsed China spy case

[ad_1] Sean Seddon BBC Information and

Kate Whannel BBC Information

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/a266/live/5582c670-a95a-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/a266/live/5582c670-a95a-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/a266/live/5582c670-a95a-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/a266/live/5582c670-a95a-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/a266/live/5582c670-a95a-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/a266/live/5582c670-a95a-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/a266/live/5582c670-a95a-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/a266/live/5582c670-a95a-11f0-92db-77261a15b9d2.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="AFP/Getty Images Split picture showing the faces of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry." class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> AFP/Getty Photos Christopher Money (left) and Christopher Berry (proper) have been each accused of spying for China

The federal government's deputy nationwide safety adviser warned in 2023 China was finishing up "massive scale espionage" actions towards the UK when requested to offer proof within the now-collapsed case towards two males accused of spying for China.

A second witness assertion written by Matthew Collins in February 2025 as proof for the case of two males, Christopher Money and Christopher Berry, stated China's spying threatened "the UK's financial prosperity and resilience".

A 3rd witness assertion revealed in August this 12 months restated the UK's view of the problem posed by China.

However the second two statements made clear the federal government was "dedicated to pursuing a constructive financial relationship with China".

Beforehand, the director of public prosecutions stated the case collapsed as a result of proof couldn't be obtained from the federal government referring to China as a nationwide safety risk.

Each Mr Money and Mr Berry have denied the allegations towards them.

All three statements by Mr Collins have been revealed by Downing Avenue on Wednesday night time as the federal government continued to face questions after the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) unexpectedly dropped prices towards the 2 males final month, prompting criticism from ministers and MPs.

The first of these three statements was given to prosecutors in December 2023, when he was serving underneath a Conservative authorities.

The second and third statements have been submitted this 12 months after Labour had taken energy.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sir Keir Starmer stated he would publish the deputy nationwide safety adviser's statements after Tory chief Kemi Badenoch accused him of a "cover-up".

Responding to the publication of the paperwork, a Conservative spokesman stated there have been "nonetheless many unanswered questions on this scandal" together with in regards to the degree of involvement of Nationwide Safety Adviser [Jonathan Powell].

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/9579/live/583c7d70-aa45-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/9579/live/583c7d70-aa45-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/9579/live/583c7d70-aa45-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/9579/live/583c7d70-aa45-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/9579/live/583c7d70-aa45-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/9579/live/583c7d70-aa45-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/9579/live/583c7d70-aa45-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/9579/live/583c7d70-aa45-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Reuters Sir Keir Starmer speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Reuters Sir Keir stated he would publish the statements after Kemi Badenoch accused him of a "cover-up".

The paperwork present that in December 2023, Mr Collins concluded: "The Chinese language Intelligence Companies are extremely succesful and conduct massive scale espionage operations towards the UK and different worldwide companions to advance the Chinese language state's curiosity and hurt the pursuits and safety of the UK."

In February 2025, he stated: "China is an authoritarian state, with totally different values to the UK. This presents challenges for each the UK and our allies. China and the UK each profit from bilateral commerce and funding, however China additionally current the most important state-based risk to the UK's financial safety."

And in a 3rd assertion this August, he stated China's "espionage operations threaten the UK's financial prosperity and resilience, and the integrity of our democratic establishments".

He pointed to a lot of actions which UK authorities consider Beijing was behind, together with a cyber-attack on the UK electoral fee between 2021 and 2023.

In his 2025 statements, Mr Collins made clear the federal government sought a great financial relationship with China, writing: "It is vital for me to stress, nevertheless that the federal government is dedicated to pursuing a constructive financial relationship with China.

"The federal government believes that the UK should proceed to have interaction with worldwide companions on commerce and funding to develop our financial system whereas guaranteeing that our safety and values usually are not compromised."

When the second assertion was signed by Mr Collins, it was dated in error as February 2024. However the authorities stated it had truly been signed and submitted to prosecutors in February 2025, by which era Labour have been in energy, and this had been clarified to the CPS on the time.

BBC Information understands that Mr Collins assumed he had given sufficient proof for the prosecution to proceed when he submitted his third witness assertion in August 2025.

A authorities supply pointed to feedback made by him the place he described "the growing Chinese language espionage risk posed to the UK" for instance of why he believed he had stated sufficient to fulfill the CPS's threshold for prosecution.

It's also understood that the CPS contacted Mr Collins after his first witness assertion to ask for additional clarification on the risk posed by China, however that they weren't explicitly clear what the official would wish to say in subsequent statements, with the intention to meet the CPS's threshold.

New particulars of alleged spying

In his first assertion, Mr Collins wrote intimately concerning the allegations made about Mr Money and Mr Berry he stated have been based mostly on data supplied to him by counter-terrorism police.

Mr Collins stated on this 2023 assertion "it had been assessed that the Chinese language state recruited Mr Berry as an agent and efficiently directed him to utilise Mr Money" who had entry to the Commons China Analysis Group (CRG) and different MPs.

Mr Money labored as a parliamentary researcher and was concerned with the CRG, which was arrange by a bunch of Conservative MPs trying into how the UK ought to reply to the rise of China.

In his assertion, Mr Collins stated that in July 2022, Mr Berry met with a senior Chinese language Communist Social gathering chief and that he understood Mr Money was made conscious of the assembly by Mr Berry.

Mr Collins stated Mr Money responded to Mr Berry with a number of messages, together with one studying: "You are in spy territory now."

Mr Collins additionally stated data gathered was handed to a person named "Alex" who was believed to be an agent of the Chinese language state.

He stated in assessing whether or not this was prejudicial to the protection or pursuits of the state, he had proceeded on the idea the info, as alleged, by counter-terrorism police have been true.

This included details about the prospect of Tom Tugendhat MP being made a minister and the chance of Jeremy Hunt pulling out of the Conservative management race.

In a brand new assertion launched on Wednesday night, Mr Money stated he wished to reiterate that he was "fully harmless".

He stated: "I've been positioned in an unattainable place. I've not had the daylight of a public trial to indicate my innocence, and I shouldn't have to participate in a trial by media.

"The statements which were made public are fully devoid of the context that will have been given at trial."

Whereas Mr Berry has beforehand denied spying for China, he has not commented because the day the case ended.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/e152/live/55cef520-aa1f-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/e152/live/55cef520-aa1f-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/e152/live/55cef520-aa1f-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/e152/live/55cef520-aa1f-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/e152/live/55cef520-aa1f-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/e152/live/55cef520-aa1f-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/e152/live/55cef520-aa1f-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/e152/live/55cef520-aa1f-11f0-aa13-0b0479f6f42a.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="House of Commons Keir Starmer in the House of Commons" class="sc-5340b511-0 bGQwLJ"/> Home of Commons Sir Keir Starmer dedicated to urgently publishing the paperwork within the Commons on Wednesday

Mr Money and Mr Berry have been charged underneath the Official Secrets and techniques Act in April 2024, when the Conservatives have been in energy.

They have been accused of gathering and offering data prejudicial to the protection and pursuits of the state between December 2021 and February 2023.

The director of public prosecutions has stated the case collapsed as a result of proof couldn't be obtained from the federal government referring to China as a nationwide safety risk.

He stated whereas there was adequate proof when prices have been initially introduced towards the 2 males, a precedent set by one other spying case earlier this 12 months meant China would wish to have been labelled a "risk to nationwide safety" on the time of the alleged offences.

Talking to the BBC's World Tonight, the previous Conservative Lawyer Common Dominic Grieve stated he discovered the collapse of the case "totally mystifying".

He acknowledged the phrases "risk to our nationwide safety" weren't used, however added: "While you learn the totality of those statements, you may be left in completely little question that China was a risk to our nationwide safety."

The Conservatives have beforehand claimed the federal government didn't present adequate proof as a result of it doesn't need to harm relations with Beijing.

Nonetheless, the Labour authorities has argued that as a result of the alleged offences passed off underneath the Conservatives, the prosecution might solely be based mostly on their stance on China on the time.

The third witness assertion launched, nevertheless, accommodates strains reflecting Labour's place on China, as detailed in its 2024 manifesto.

Talking at Prime Minister's Questions earlier, Sir Keir stated: "Below this authorities, no minister or particular adviser performed any function within the provision of proof."