Can you be a spy by mistake? If, with no treacherous intent, without ever intending to disadvantage your own country, you share information which might give another country advantage over yours, are you spying for that country? In ordinary usage I’d answer these questions with a firm no. Spies operate for many reasons – reward, blackmail, ideology or as a profession – but they do know they are spies. It’s intentional behaviour.

If I’ve ever met or communicated with Chris Cash, I don’t remember it. He has, however, been described to me by mutual friends whom I trust. Their descriptions concur. Nothing I’ve learnt about this young man, who worked at Westminster on research into China, suggests it’s likely he can justly be accused of being ‘a Chinese spy’.

Media colleagues may use the word

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