Overview

• Downing Street released three witness statements by deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins that detail extensive Chinese espionage and assess the alleged conduct as prejudicial to UK interests.
• The Crown Prosecution Service had dropped charges against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry after saying it lacked evidence that China met the legal definition of a national security threat at the time of the alleged offences.
• MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum said Chinese state actors threaten UK security every day and expressed frustration that chances to prosecute were not followed through.
• Parliament’s Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy will run a formal inquiry into the collapse, with the CPS facing scrutiny over an evidence shortfall described by MPs as just below the threshold.
• Collins’ filings also restated a policy of pursuing a positive relationship with China using a cooperate‑compete‑challenge approach, prompting calls for fuller disclosure of the “China files” and questions about the language included.