Beijing and Moscow ‘laughing themselves silly’ at UK's China spy trial collapse disaster

Beijing and Moscow are “laughing themselves silly” at Britain following the collapse of the China spy case, a security expert has said. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) dropped the case against Christopher Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and teacher Christopher Berry, 33, in September after deciding the Government’s evidence did not prove that China was a national security threat to the UK.

Both men, who deny wrongdoing, had been accused of passing secrets to China. The collapse of the case has prompted a blame game between the Labour Government, Tories and the CPS. Professor Anthony Glees, a lecturer at the University of Buckingham, said he believes China poses an “existential threat” to the UK, adding: “I just don’t understand where they’re [Government] coming from on this.” Labour says the case did not reach trial because the previous Tory government only classified China as an “epoch-defining challenge” rather than a threat.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has claimed Labour “deliberately collapsed” the trial because Sir Keir Starmer “wants to suck up to Beijing”.

Professor Glees told the Express he believes China is “extremely malign”.

He said: “What people like me have to do is follow what those on the inside are telling us and there is voice, after voice, after voice telling us that China represents a serious espionage threat to this country.

“Every voice from inside the Government machine, every voice from inside the ring of secrecy who have access to it, is telling us the same thing, so it’s absurd for people to claim otherwise.”

The head of MI5 Sir Ken McCallum said he was "frustrated" by the case being dropped.

In a speech on Thursday, the service’s director general said “Chinese state actors” present a national security threat to the UK “every day”.

Professor Glees described China as a “totalitarian state run by a totalitarian communist party, itself headed by President Xi [Jinping] who has come to regard himself as dictator for life”.

In a chilling warning, he added: “They want to control us, I have no doubt that the ultimate aim for China is to turn Europe into a Chinese colony.

“There are three regulatory systems in the world; China, United States and the European Union. China wants [to] ultimately to bring Europe into the Chinese orbit. No doubt at all.”

Professor Glees said both Russia and China pose “mortal threats to our way of life” but have different intentions.

He said Vladimir Putin wants to recreate the borders of the old Soviet Union, while Mr Xi is “looking into the 22nd Century”.

“Europe is the big prize,” Professor Glees said.

“Control of Europe, the induction of Europe’s economy into the Chinese economic manufacturing machine and it gives them a very clear goal to work for.”

The parliamentary Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy will launch a formal inquiry into the collapse of Mr Cash and Mr Berry’s trial.