Overview

• The Crown Prosecution Service halted the case on September 15 and the two defendants were recorded not guilty under the Official Secrets Act.
• Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson says prosecutors could not secure official statements that China met the legal national‑security threat test for the charged period, a claim contested by politicians.
• Correspondence and bank records show £600 paid by Christopher Berry to Chris Cash was for translation work, and references to a financial inducement were removed from case papers, The Times reports.
• Defense teams argued the alleged information was publicly available or gossip, and an expert report questioned prosecutors’ suggestion that material could reach senior CCP figure Cai Qi.
• Political pressure intensified as MPs demanded explanations and former security minister Tom Tugendhat attacked the government’s stance and claimed a Whitehall dossier could evidence China as a threat.