The head of MI5 has said “Chinese state actors” present a national security threat to the UK “every day” and he admitted he was frustrated by the collapse of the case against two alleged Westminster spies.
Sir Ken McCallum set out how the Security Service carried out an operation against a threat from China within the last week amid growing questions around the failure to prosecute.
In a speech at MI5’s London headquarters, the service’s director general said that the UK needed to “defend itself resolutely” against China while also being able to “seize the opportunities” having a relationship with Beijing brings.
“The UK-China relationship is, by its nature, complex, but MI5’s role is not: we detect and deal, robustly, with activity threatening national security,” Sir Ken said.
He highlighted attempts by China to carry out “cyber espionage”, “clandestine technology transfer”, efforts to “interfere covertly in UK public life” and the “harassment and intimidation of opponents” including pro-democracy activists.
“When it comes to China, the UK needs to defend itself resolutely against threats and seize the opportunities that demonstrably serve our nation,” he said.
It was a choice for ministers to decide where the balance lies, he said, “informed by expert security advice”.
Asked if he was frustrated by the collapse of the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, he said: “Of course I am frustrated when opportunities to prosecute national security-threatening activity are not followed through, for whatever reason.”
Sir Ken’s comments came after it emerged the government’s deputy national security adviser had repeatedly described the “threat” posed by China in witness statements, published on Wednesday night, amid the extraordinary row over the collapse of the case.
A key allegation against the government was that it refused in its evidence to the CPS to describe Beijing as a threat to Britain’s national security.
But the statements published on Wednesday showed that Matt Collins had said Chinese intelligence services were “highly capable and conduct large-scale espionage operations” against the UK, which “threaten the UK’s economic prosperity and resilience and the integrity of our democratic institutions”.
But he added that the government was “committed to pursuing a positive relationship” with Beijing.
He also told prosecutors it was his assessment that Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, the two men accused of spying for China, acted in a way that was a danger to the “safety” and “interests” of the UK, handing over material that would be “useful” to the Chinese state. They deny any wrongdoing.
On Thursday, the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy announced that it would be holding a formal inquiry into the collapse of the case, as the committee’s chair Matt Western telling the Commons there are “clearly still many questions yet to be answered” over the saga.
“As the Committee that scrutinises processes for national security decision-making, the [Joint Committee] is the best forum for those questions,” he said.
He added: “We will be holding a formal inquiry as soon as we can and expect to hear evidence from the government and officials involved in these issues.”
Sir Keir Starmer, meanwhile, responded to a letter from Tory leader Kemi Badenoch to say he will “not stand for anyone being unfairly blamed” for the collapse of the China spy trial.
He said the deputy national security adviser “did everything possible” within the “constraints imposed by the previous government’s position on China”.
In a letter responding to one that the opposition letter sent to him outlining questions over the case, the prime minister said: “I can confirm that no minister or special adviser of this government placed any pressure on any witness that the CPS intended to call to trial, nor did they seek to influence the outcome of the trial in any other way.
“Let me also say that I will not stand for anyone being unfairly blamed for this outcome.
“I am confident that the deputy national security adviser, Matt Collins – a public servant of the highest calibre and integrity, who has made a significant impact on our national security – did everything possible within the constraints imposed by the previous government’s position on China.
“Furthermore, the witness statements that we have now published show that the evidence he provided was in line with the then government’s publicly stated policy at the time.”
The release of the documents on Wednesday piled pressure on the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to explain why it unexpectedly dropped charges against the two men.
The evidence set out how Mr Berry was recruited by the Chinese state and used Mr Cash to gather intelligence on the UK.
At one point, Mr Cash said to Mr Berry that “you’re in spy territory now”.
But former parliamentary researcher Mr Cash has said the collapse of the trial leaves him in an “impossible position”.
“I wish to reiterate that I am completely innocent. Not just because the case against me was dropped, but because at no point did I ever intentionally assist Chinese intelligence,” he said as the evidence was published.
“I have not had the daylight of a public trial to show my innocence, and I should not have to take part in a trial by media,” he added.
