The UK Government has acknowledged that China poses a "series of threats to national security" as ministers faced mounting pressure over the collapse of a high-profile espionage case. Security minister Dan Jarvis blamed the previous Conservative administration for the Crown Prosecution Service's decision to drop charges against two men last month.
The case against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher, was abandoned after prosecutors said the Government had failed to provide sufficient evidence. Director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson stated that the case collapsed because evidence was not provided to support the assertion that China represented a threat to national security.
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 prosecution was "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".
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The Sunday Times reported that the Treasury and national security adviser Jonathan Powell had pushed for the case to be withdrawn, fearing China might withdraw investment from the UK.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.
