Chinese Spy Trial Collapse: 5 Key Questions As Espionage Row Rumbles On

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/68f08d39160000c41e483def.jpeg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Keir Starmer leaving 10 Downing Street on Wednesday." data-caption="Keir Starmer leaving 10 Downing Street on Wednesday." data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="via Associated Press" />Keir Starmer leaving 10 Downing Street on Wednesday.</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer/">Keir Starmer’s </a>government took the unusual step last night of publishing key evidence submitted to an espionage trial which dramatically collapsed.</p><p>Three witness statements provided by deputy national security adviser Matt Collins as part of the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) case against two men accused of spying for China were made public.</p><p>The men, Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, have always denied the allegations.</p><p>Critics have accused the government of deliberately sabotaging the case to avoid upsetting China as ministers try to improve relations with Beijing.</p><p>The prime minister promised to release Collins’ witness statements <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/shes-not-a-lawyer-or-a-leader-starmer-roasts-badenoch-over-china-spy-row_uk_68ef82cfe4b03d2464051cd7">as he clashed </a>in the Commons with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.</p><p>But if he thought that doing so would draw a line under the row he was mistaken, as they threw up even more questions about what went on.</p><p>Here, HuffPost UK looks at where we are now as the row rumbles on.</p><p></p><h2><strong>What did the documents reveal?</strong></h2><p>In his first witness statement in 2023, when the Tories were still in power, Matt Collins said the Chinese