Acquitted ‘China Spy’ Claims He Was a Convenient Fall Guy for UK Security Services

POLICY WIRE — London, UK — A British national previously accused of spying for the Chinese government has told the BBC that he served as a convenient scapegoat for domestic police and intelligence agencies. He suggests these services were eager to bring the threat of foreign espionage to the forefront of national discourse.

Cash, a former parliamentary researcher, released a cache of over 6,000 messages detailing interactions with a Chinese official who sought information on sensitive UK political affairs. These communications covered the 2022 Conservative Party leadership contest used to determine the next Prime Minister.

The records highlight a dramatic account from Cash’s friend, Chris Berry, regarding a clandestine meeting with a high-ranking Chinese official. Berry reportedly reported that Beijing was concerned about the potential promotion of a British MP, whom they had sanctioned, into a cabinet position.

The messages also indicate that Cash utilized Berry as a reference during the vetting process for a parliamentary pass, which was ultimately granted. Like Cash, Berry faced charges of espionage, though both men consistently maintained their innocence throughout the proceedings.

In his first interview following his acquittal—which ignited a political debate over the government’s refusal to label China as a threat—Cash asserted he would never act to undermine UK national security.

However, he admitted to being naive and unprofessional by sending gossipy messages to Berry. The two men met in 2018 while they were both teaching English at a school in China.

While the message trove contains discussions on sensitive subjects, there is no evidence that Cash received payments from or held sympathies for the Chinese Communist Party.

Cash returned to the UK in 2019 and became the director of a small policy group for Conservative MPs. Meanwhile, Berry remained in China working for a large consultancy with ties to the government.

UK security services alleged that information shared via the encrypted Signal app between January 2022 and March 2023 was passed to state-linked individuals. Prosecutors dropped the case last autumn because the government had not officially classified China as an enemy at that time.

The most notable portion of the messages involves Berry’s account of a summer 2022 meeting with a senior Chinese official seeking deeper cooperation. Berry noted the official was piqued by reports Berry had authored regarding the UK’s foreign policy strategy.

Berry described the experience at a government-owned villa as a psychological test. He kept his hands under the table to hide his nerves while tea was being served.

Berry told Cash the senior official asked, through an interpreter, about the UK political situation following Boris Johnson’s resignation. Berry reportedly jokingly asked the host which candidate China favored, but the interpreter did not translate the question.

Upon receiving the voice notes, Cash joked with Berry the next day that he had been ‘elite captured’ and noted he was now in spy territory. While media reports framed these messages as proof that Cash knew Berry was passing information, Cash insisted it was a tongue-in-cheek remark because he viewed Berry as a staunch critic of the Chinese government.

Cash told Berry to keep himself sweet because they might have a use for him. Cash stated he did not believe Berry was knowingly spying through him and wished he had recognized the danger earlier to cut contact.

Berry later sent Cash a link to the Wikipedia page of Cai Qi, who was then one of China’s most influential figures and now the chief of staff to President Xi Jinping. It remains unclear if Berry correctly identified his host, and Berry has since denied meeting someone of such high stature.

Cash told the BBC the unusual encounter did not trigger alarm bells because he considered strange things common in China and noted they frequently brushed shoulders with senior members of the Chinese Communist Party.

Six months after the meeting, Berry messaged Cash claiming he had on authority that China was considering removing sanctions against Tom Tugendhat, a Conservative MP in the China Research Group where Cash worked. Berry wrote this would happen as long as the West signaled a willingness to cooperate.

The Chinese believed it would be ‘extremely embarrassing’ if Tugendhat became Prime Minister or Foreign Secretary while under sanctions. Cash assumed Berry heard this through the grapevine at his company and never doubted his friend’s trustworthiness.

On a morning in March 2023, counter-terrorism officers entered Cash’s bedroom in Edinburgh. They ordered him to sit up and not touch anything before arresting him for breaching the Official Secrets Act. Cash described being in complete shock, noting that his mother was hysterical.

Cash was driven to London the same day Berry was arrested at Heathrow Airport. It remains unknown why security services became interested in their exchanges, though his laptop and phone were seized, allowing authorities to download the Signal chats.

As the investigation progressed, authorities believed the men were involved in the exchange of information deemed prejudicial to UK safety and interests. The allegations were based on the 6,273 messages, which Cash’s solicitor says are genuine.

The messages covered the period when Cash joined the China Research Group, founded by Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns. Berry worked for Strong, a company linked to Chinese state agencies, allegedly compiling 34 reports for using information passed by Cash.

While Cash’s office was across the Thames from Westminster, he regularly met in Parliament. He did not have government security clearance and there is no evidence he accessed classified documents. Despite being miles apart, the friends maintained daily contact.

Cash explained he used Signal for all Chinese contacts to protect them, as discussing government matters could land someone in trouble. They did not use the app’s disappearing messages function. The reviews included sanctions, Huawei, human rights, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and foreign policy.

Cash argued much of the information was publicly available and he provided the BBC with a spreadsheet of links and references to prove this. However, he did label information as ‘off the record’ on 12 occasions. He told the BBC he was simply excited to share his work experiences.

One message recounted private views expressed by the then-ambassador to China, Dame Caroline Wilson, during a discussion about the group’s influence on UK universities. Cash also shared unverified rumors about the private lives of two cabinet ministers, though there is no evidence Berry passed this to Chinese colleagues.

Cash regarded the exchanges as routine political discussion and maintained they were not working with classified information. He was told his lawyer the investigation would end after six months, allowing him to return to normal life.

The case became public in September 2023 after the Sunday Times broke the story of an unnamed spy arrested in Parliament. Cash recalled being on a train while passengers read the front-page headline about his arrest, stating he ‘wanted the world to eat me up.’

Within 24 hours, Cash was named and photographed. Both men were later charged with espionage. In September 2024, weeks before the trial was set to begin, his solicitor informed him that all charges had been dropped.

Cash’s lawyers requested a hearing for the prosecution to formally acknowledge the lack of evidence. At the Old Bailey, the newly-cleared Cash struggled to find media interest in his story.

Unlike previous court appearances where he was mobbed, the press was not notified of this specific hearing. Eventually, his team found a BBC journalist, allowing Cash to finally speak his piece outside the court.

Cash stated that his life has changed beyond recognition and he has lost his dream job and his closest friendship. He expressed anger and upset over the ordeal, feeling let down by the people he trusted.

When asked if he believes Berry was spying for China, Cash said it would be wrong to speculate but noted that the reports Berry wrote concerned with economic and commercial issues in the public domain. Though legally innocent, Cash believes his reputation in Parliament has been trashed, though he remains positive about the future.

Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)