The Chinese spy scandal that is rocking Britain’s government

In July 2022, Christopher Berry ,a 30-year-old British economics teacher who had moved to China to work, traveled to Hangzhou to allegedly meet with one of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s most trusted confidants and his current chief of staff, Cai Qi.

- Max Colchester [e-mail]

Christopher Cash (left) and Christopher Berry were arrested by British police on suspicion of spying for China.

(REUTERS)

Shortly after, Christopher Cash, a British parliamentary researcher back in London, sent his friend Berry a voice note: "You are in spy territory now,” he allegedly said, according to details of the case released this week by the British government.

A year later, Berry and Cash were arrested by British police on suspicion of spying for China. Berry was alleged to have been tasked by a handler code-named “Alex” to get Cash to hand over details about the inner workings of the British parliament, which was then passed on to the Chinese state, according to a U.K. government-witness statement made public this week.

The case was yet another exhibit of what U.K. security services say is an unprecedented level of spying by China on Britain and other western allies such as the U.S. It was particularly concerning given Cash worked as a researcher for a group of China hawks in the House of Commons; he had an inside track on some of those U.K. lawmakers most critical of the Chinese Communist Party.

Among the information Cash allegedly handed to Berry: The names and photos of a visiting delegation of Taiwanese defense-ministry officials who visited the U.K. in 2022 to meet with U.K. lawmakers to discuss how Taiwan would defend itself against any future Chinese aggression.

Cash and Berry have said they are innocent. Security officials at the time said the case was a slam dunk, alluding to reams of compromising communications between the two men. The Chinese embassy in London called the allegations groundless.