A former researcher and another man charged with spying for China were granted bail after an initial court appearance in London. Christopher Cash, 29, and Christopher Berry, 32, were accused of violating the Official Secrets Act by allegedly providing information or documents that could be detrimental to the safety or interests of the U.K. and beneficial to China between late 2021 and February 2023.
Cash, a former parliamentary researcher who worked with senior lawmakers from the governing Conservatives, was instructed not to enter Parliament or contact members of the House of Commons. His colleagues included Alicia Kearns, the current head of the Foreign Affairs Committee, and Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister.
Berry, reportedly an academic based in Oxfordshire, stood accused alongside Cash in court. During the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, the defendants did not enter pleas and were ordered not to leave the U.K. or communicate with each other. They are scheduled to appear at the Central Criminal Court on May 10 for a preliminary hearing.
The Chinese Embassy has vehemently denied the allegations, labeling them as “completely fabricated” and “malicious slander.” The embassy urged the U.K. to cease what they referred to as “anti-China political manipulation.”
These charges come on the same day that three individuals were arrested in Germany on suspicion of spying for China and attempting to transfer information related to technology with potential military applications. British intelligence agencies have heightened their warnings about covert activities conducted by Beijing in recent years.
