This is The Guardian.
Today, the mysterious case of the alleged British spies who worked for China.
It had all the makings of a pulpy political thriller.
a high-stakes spy scandal that seemed poised to shake Westminster to its core.
For years,
British intelligence had been warning about the growing threat of Chinese influence from political interference to suspected espionage.
And in 2023 came something explosive.
It's the allegation shaking Westminster, a Chinese spy working in the heart of White Hawk.
with access to MPs and senior officials at the levers of power.
Two young British men, two friends, were arrested, accused of spying for China.
Christopher Cash worked as a parliamentary researcher, Christopher Berry as a teacher in Hangzhou.
They were charged under the Official Secrets Act and due to appear in court this month.
The headlines were dramatic.
The political implications, huge.
And yet, just days before the trial was set to begin, the entire case collapsed.
Dan Saba, the Guardian's Defence and Security Editor, was stunned.
Well, it came through quite late in the day,
something like 6.30. I was just absolutely gobsmacked by what I read.
because what the direct prosecutions were saying was that we wanted these extra reassurances from the government to clarify that China was an enemy and specifically that it was a current threat to UK national security and without that we felt we couldn't proceed.
I was amazed that the DPP was saying it all hinged on this technicality.