Heart of the row

What the witness statements mean

- Peter Walker

On Wednesday night, ministers released three witness statements by Matthew Collins, one of the UK's deputy national security advisers, in connection with the failed prosecution of two British men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, who were accused of spying for China.

The statements span 18 months and two governments, and are at the heart of a row about who, if anyone, was to blame for the case collapsing. Cash and Berry have denied any wrongdoing. Below are some key passages from the statements and their potential significance.

"As set out in the integrated review refresh of 2023, the UK is updating its approach to China to keep pace with the evolving and epoch-defining challenge it poses to the international order ... We will engage directly with China bilaterally and in international fora so that we leave room for open, constructive and predictable relations."

This section from Collins' first and longest statement, which was submitted in December 2023 when Rishi Sunak was prime minister, uses the slightly bland language of formal diplomacy to set out what the UK's position to China was at the time: a "challenge" which must be opposed where needed, but also an inescapable part of the global and commercial landscape.

The case against Cash and Berry was dropped by prosecutors because they believed that under the Official Secrets Act, the law used to charge the men, China would need to be described as an enemy.