The failed prosecution of two British men accused of spying for China continues to roil Westminster, sparking recriminations against the government and concern among MPs about their privacy and security.
The case against the men was dropped last month, with the director of public prosecutions saying the British government had failed to provide sufficient evidence that China was a ‘threat to national security’. Both men – one of whom advised MPs on China policy – have consistently denied any allegations of wrongdoing.
While all countries spy on and seek to influence each other, China presents an intelligence challenge of unprecedented scale and ambition.
But, looking beyond this messy case, the UK needs to do much more to tackle the very real threat of Chinese espionage, infiltration and influence operations. China is both an important economic partner and a systemic rival to the UK, with many areas of overlapping and clashing national interests. The UK government must be able to talk to Beijing and do business with China – while protecting the country from the long arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC).
In its recent national security strategy, the government acknowledged that ‘instances of China’s espionage, interference in our democracy and the undermining of our economic security have increased in recent years’. Publicly documented cases of the intimidation of UK-based Hong Kong activists, attempts to meddle in the UK parliament, and cyberattacks are likely just the tip of the iceberg. The head of MI5, the UK’s domestic intelligence agency, said in his annual threat update that his agency had intervened in the last week to stop a Chinese threat to national security.
While all countries spy on and seek to influence each other, China presents an intelligence challenge of unprecedented scale and ambition. It is not only the world’s largest authoritarian regime but an economic and technological superpower.
But prosecutions will always be a last resort in tackling espionage, because of the high bar for convictions and the sensitivities of disclosing covertly gathered counter-intelligence. The damage is also already done once the there is enough evidence to bring a case.