On October 15, in order to appease public opinion, the British government released evidence in the case of two men accused of spying for China. This is the latest move by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the case collapsed and caused a lot of controversy.
Prime Minister Starmer's government faces accusations that it has covered up the case to protect relations with China. There is currently a public debate between his Party government and independent prosecutors over why the case cannot be brought to trial.
The Royal Prosecutor's Office (CPS) said the case collapsed because government evidence did not show that China was a threat to national security at the time of the 2021-2023 allegations, when the Conservative Party was in power.
Under pressure from public opinion, Prime Minister Starmer has declared to the National Assembly that he will publish all three reports.
This report in August 2025 shows a clear conflict.
On the one hand, the document affirms that Chinese intelligence agencies "have very high capacity" and are conducting "large-scale Essai Campaigns" to harm the security and interests of the UK.
On the other hand, it was also in the conclusion of the document that it was emphasized that the UK government was "committed to pursuing a positive relationship with China" to strengthen cooperation and stability.
The British Conservative Party has criticized the conflict in the report as evidence that the government is deliberately "lowering" the risk from China.
However, Prime Minister Starmer flatly denied the accusation. He asserted that under his government, no official was involved in a lobbying corridor or influencing the case.
This case involves 2 British citizens, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry. They were arrested two years ago on charges of collecting "utile to the enemy" information, but the allegations were overturned last month.
The opposition's suspicions stem from the context of Mr. Starmer's government trying to improve relations with China and seeking investment from China to boost the struggling economy.
