Keir Starmer Comes Out Fighting Over Claims No.10 Sabotaged Chinese Spying Trial

<div><img src="https://img.huffingtonpost.com/asset/676165491400001500de3311.jpg?ops=scalefit_630_noupscale" alt="Keir Starmer has been keen to improve relations with China." data-caption="Keir Starmer has been keen to improve relations with China." data-credit-link-back="" data-credit="WPA Pool via Getty Images" />Keir Starmer has been keen to improve relations with China.</div><div class="content-list-component text"><p><a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/news/keir-starmer/">Keir Starmer </a>has come out fighting over <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/keir-starmer-is-under-fire-after-the-trial-of-2-men-accused-of-spying-for-china-collapsed-heres-why_uk_68e5f6a4e4b0d98d3e52b406">claims his government deliberately sabotaged a spy trial </a>to avoid harming the UK’s relations with China.</p><p>The prime minister’s official spokesman said it was “entirely false” to suggest No.10 had failed to fully co-operate with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over the case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry.</p><p>The men had denied spying for China and were due to stand trial under the Official Secrets Act, but it collapsed last month.</p><p>Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson revealed that his team had tried “over many months” to get the evidence it needed against the men, but it had not been forthcoming from the government.</p><p>“When this became apparent, the case could not proceed,” he said.</p><p>Opposition parties have accused the government of deliberately obstructing the case to avoid harming relations between the UK and China.</p><p>But at a Downing Street briefing for journalists on Monday, the PM’s spokesman hit back at those claims.</p><p>He said: “It is entirely false. The CPS decision to drop the case w