The trial of two men accused of spying for China was due to start at London’s Woolwich Crown Court today. Instead, charges against parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash and teacher Christopher Berry were dropped last month in controversial circumstances.

Both men – who maintain their innocence – were charged with violating the Official Secrets Act, which meant prosecutors would have had to prove that they had acted for an “enemy” state. But, according to The Sunday Times , Jonathan Powell , Keir Starmer’s influential national security adviser, said the government’s “star witness” in the case would have to base his evidence on the National Security Strategy 2025 – which describes China as a “geostrategic challenge”, rather than an “enemy”. And so the trial was “doomed”.

What did

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