China poses a “series of threats to national security”, the Government acknowledged as ministers continued to face pressure over the collapse of an espionage case.
Security minister Dan Jarvis blamed the previous Conservative administration and archaic legislation for the Crown Prosecution Service’s decision to drop the case.
Charges against Christopher Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, a teacher, were dropped last month, prompting fury across the political divide.
The director of public prosecutions Stephen Parkinson has said the case was dropped after the Government failed to provide evidence that would support the assertion that China represented a threat to national security.
Mr Jarvis told MPs “every effort was made to provide evidence to support this case” within the constraints of the previous government’s reluctance to classify China as a national security threat.
“The decision about whether to proceed with the prosecution was ultimately taken by the CPS, who were hamstrung by antiquated legislation that had not been updated by the previous Conservative government,” he said.
Setting out the current Government’s position, Mr Jarvis said: “We fully recognise that China poses a series of threats to UK national security, yet we must also be alive to the fact that China does present us with opportunities.
“It is the world’s second-largest economy and, together with Hong Kong, the UK’s third-largest trading partner.
“The only way to act in the UK’s best interest is to take a long-term and strategic approach. This means working in close co-ordination with Five Eyes and wider allies to build collective resilience against the threats that China poses, investing in our intelligence services and being unequivocal about our position on human rights.
“It also means developing a consistent and pragmatic approach to economic engagement without compromising on our national security.”
Kemi Badenoch urged ministers to “admit it”, if they decided that “closer economic ties with China were more important than due process and national security”.
Speaking in the Commons, the Conservative Party leader said: “Is it seriously the Government’s argument that no minister knew anything about this until the trial collapsed? If this is the case, it is astonishing.
“But my suspicion is that it is not the case. My suspicion is that ministers did know.”
Mrs Badenoch had earlier sought to defend her party’s record in government, telling MPs: “For starters, the 2021 integrated review described China as – listen carefully – the biggest state-based threat to the UK’s economic security.
“The 2023 Integrated Review Refresh said China posed – let’s listen carefully – a ‘threat’ several times.”
Mrs Badenoch also said former security minister Tom Tugendhat had warned China “poses a serious threat” from the despatch box.
Mr Jarvis described Mrs Badenoch’s contribution as a “whole series of baseless smears”, and referred to comments she made at last year’s Conservative party conference in Birmingham, when she said she had “shied away from calling China a threat”.
He also quoted from Mrs Badenoch’s Sky News interview in September 2023, when she said: “We certainly should not be describing China as a foe but we can describe it as a challenge.”
Mr Jarvis and Downing Street rejected suggestions the Government influenced the collapse of the case because of concerns Beijing could withdraw investment in the UK.
The Sunday Times reported that the Treasury and national security adviser Jonathan Powell had pushed for the case to be withdrawn, for fear it could prompt economic giant China to withdraw investment in the UK.
But Downing Street robustly denied suggestions that officials or ministers had taken any such approach.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told reporters: “It is entirely false.”
He added: “There was no role for any member of this Government, no minister, or special adviser, to take any decision in relation to this case. That is entirely for the CPS.”
