British prosecutors believed that Cai Qi, China's fifth most senior official, was the recipient of intelligence in a controversial espionage case that was later dropped, the Guardian has learned. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) alleged in April 2024 that a 'senior member of the Chinese Communist party and a politburo member' had received 'politically sensitive information' from two British researchers charged with spying for China.
Cai Qi, a member of the standing committee of the CCP politburo and a protégé of Xi Jinping, is understood to be that official. As de facto chief of staff to Xi, Cai is one of the most powerful figures in China. The CPS dropped charges against Christopher Berry and Christopher Cash last month due to lack of evidence, sparking outrage among MPs.
The case alleged that between December 2021 and February 2023, a Chinese intelligence agent commissioned at least 34 reports from Berry, a British researcher living in China. These reports contained information from Cash, who worked in Westminster for the China Research Group, a group of Beijing-sceptic Conservative MPs. The CPS believed the information was passed to Cai, who was promoted to the standing committee in October 2022.
Cash and Berry have consistently maintained their innocence. On 15 September, the CPS abandoned the case, with Director of Public Prosecutions Stephen Parkinson stating that the 'evidence no longer met the evidential test'. Labour and Conservative MPs expressed disappointment, and Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle considered private action against the pair.
However, experts in Chinese politics have expressed scepticism. Professor Kerry Brown of King's College London said it was 'very, very, very unlikely' that an official of Cai's level would have contact with a foreigner in such a manner. The case has raised questions about how British security services assess information about China, with the government acknowledging a lack of understanding about the country as a national security challenge.
