UK Trial on Alleged Chinese Spies Collapses: What to Know

Why has the collapsed trial become such a thorny issue for the government of Keir Starmer?

Pedestrians walk along the South Bank, with the Elizabeth Tower and the Houses of Parliament in the background, in London on Sept. 29, 2025. Henry Nicholls/AFP via Getty Images

When the trial of two men accused of spying for China collapsed before it had even begun in London on Sept. 15, the news came out of the blue.

But in the four weeks since, the case has become a political snowball, with allegations made in the British media that the UK government undermined the prosecution to avoid offending the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which is not officially defined as an “enemy.”