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Simon Case Challenges Government Explanation for Collapsed UK China Spy Prosecution

The DPP says the case failed for lack of official testimony that China met the 'enemy' threat test required under the 1911 Official Secrets Act.

Overview

  • The Crown Prosecution Service dropped the case on 15 September after months of unsuccessful efforts to obtain government witness statements confirming China was a national security threat during 2021–23.
  • Prime Minister Keir Starmer argues the government could not provide retrospective designations because China was not formally classed as a threat under policy at the time of the alleged offences.
  • Former cabinet secretary Simon Case noted intelligence chiefs have long publicly described China as a threat, intensifying calls for a fuller account of why such evidence was unavailable to prosecutors.
  • Ministers deny political interference or withholding evidence, as critics including Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns allege officials prioritized relations with Beijing over a trial.
  • Reporting by The Times says key evidence was weak, including payments shown to be for translation work, claims reliant on publicly available material, and an expert disputing that a defendant had access to senior Chinese officials.