"UK nationals ensnared in Chinese espionage dispute"

For Christopher Cash, it was a role he greatly enjoyed. The parliamentary researcher, then in his late 20s, specialized in China and worked for two prominent backbenchers, Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns. With a parliamentary pass, he was well-connected in Westminster’s circles during 2022—a year marked by political upheaval, three different prime ministers, and shifting policies in the UK.

Around the same time, Cash was in frequent contact with a friend, Christopher Berry, a teacher based in Hangzhou, eastern China, where the two had first met five years earlier. They often discussed politics using encrypted messages. On one occasion, July 18, Berry reportedly told Cash he had met a high-ranking Chinese Communist Party official (though he now denies this). The following day, Cash replied: “You’re in spy territory now.”

This exchange was among numerous voice notes and messages later recovered by London’s elite counterterrorism unit, SO15, which also handles espionage investigations. Prosecutors alleged Berry was directed by a man known only as Alex, a Chinese intelligence officer operating undercover. Cash, they claimed, acted as Berry’s source, relaying information from Westminster to Alex, who then passed it to Cai Qi, a senior Chinese leader.

Cash and Berry were arrested in March 2023 and formally charged in April 2024, accused of spying for China. Both denied the allegations and maintained their innocence. Last month, prosecutors dropped the case, sparking debate over the decision and fueling political controversy. Until recently, few details of the investigation were public, but a witness statement released as part of an effort to resolve the matter shed new light on the accusations.

The statement, prepared by deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins in December 2023, cited evidence gathered by SO15. It described frequent, sometimes urgent, communication between the two men. On one occasion, Collins noted, just 13 hours elapsed between Berry receiving instructions, consulting Cash, and compiling a report for Alex.

On July 21, 2022, Cash allegedly told Berry that Tugendhat—a moderate China skeptic—would “almost certainly” be appointed a minister under Rishi Sunak, then competing with Liz Truss for the premiership, in exchange for Tugendhat’s support on foreign policy. Cash warned the information was highly confidential and should not be shared, but Berry reportedly included it in a report to Alex on July 28. Notably, Collins did not mention that Tugendhat endorsed Truss the following day.

The witness statement, one of three Collins provided to prosecutors, was released late Wednesday evening.