China spy case collapsed due to 'systemic failures'

The government and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have been condemned for “systematic failures” that led to the collapse of the China spy trial.

- DAVID MADDOX

An extraordinary row erupted after the case fell apart in September, with prosecutors and government officials seeking to blame each other after two men accused of spying for Beijing walked free, prompting accusations of a “cover-up”.

Ministers and civil servants have now each received a portion of the blame in a damning report by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy (JCNSS), but were cleared of being involved in a conspiracy to appease China.

However, the committee cautioned against dismissing the case as a “one-off” caused by outdated espionage laws, warning that parallels in new legislation must be handled carefully to prevent a similar issue happening again.

The report comes just 24 hours after Sir Keir Starmer branded China a national security threat in a Mansion House speech on foreign policy, but insisted that his government still needs to work with Beijing.

The charges were dropped against former parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry when the CPS said it could not get evidence from the government referring to China as a national security threat. Both men deny passing secrets to Beijing between 2021 and 2023.

The JCNSS, which launched a highly unusual investigation into the collapsed case following the controversy, says in its report today: “We appreciate that the sequence of some events has raised eyebrows.