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The UK government’s deputy national security adviser, Matthew Collins, revealed in a series of witness statements given to prosecutors that China was conducting extensive espionage activities against the UK. These statements, provided in 2023, February 2025, and August 2025, highlighted the threat posed by China’s spying efforts to the UK’s economic prosperity and resilience. Despite the concerns raised about China’s espionage operations, Collins emphasized the government’s commitment to maintaining a positive economic relationship with China.
The statements by Collins were made public after charges were unexpectedly dropped against two men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, accused of spying for China. The case’s collapse drew criticism from ministers and MPs, with the director of public prosecutions citing a lack of evidence from the government regarding China’s status as a national security threat as the reason for dropping the charges. The decision to release the witness statements came after pressure from various political parties, including calls from the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
The newly published documents detailed Collins’ assessment of China’s spy agencies as highly capable and conducting large-scale espionage operations against the UK. In subsequent statements, Collins described China as the biggest state-based threat to the UK’s economic security, emphasizing the impact of China’s espionage operations on the country’s economic prosperity and democratic institutions. Despite these concerns, Collins reiterated the government’s stance on pursuing close economic ties with China while ensuring that security and values are not compromised.
Both Mr. Cash and Mr. Berry, who denied the allegations against them, were charged under the Official Secrets Act in April 2024 for allegedly gathering and providing information prejudicial to the state’s safety and interests. The director of public prosecutions clarified that while there was sufficient evidence initially, a precedent set in a previous spying case required China to have been labeled a threat to national security at the time of the alleged offenses. The debate surrounding the case highlighted the delicate balance between national security concerns and economic relationships with foreign powers
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