White House issues warning to UK over dropped China spy case PHOTO

The White House has reportedly warned British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer that the failure to prosecute two alleged Chinese spies could undermine the “special relationship” and jeopardise intelligence sharing between the UK and the United States.

President Trump is said to be increasingly concerned about Britain’s reliability after charges were dropped last month against Chris Cash, 30, a former parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, an academic, who were accused of spying for Beijing, Caliber.Az reports per The Times.

The case collapsed after the UK government failed to provide evidence that China posed a threat to national security.

A senior Trump administration official said: “The United States has been warning allies about the Chinese threat to our combined national security since President Trump first came into office in 2017. The US government exercises extreme caution in sharing information with foreign governments subject to adversarial coercion and influence. We are especially careful in jurisdictions where our adversaries can act with impunity.”

The Trump administration has also previously warned Downing Street against permitting the construction of a new Chinese mega-embassy near sensitive London financial centres. The president reportedly raised the issue personally with Starmer.

While the British prime minister appears to be softening the UK’s stance on China, Trump reignited his trade war with Beijing on Friday, raising tariffs to 130 per cent after China blocked exports of critical minerals used in the defence and technology sectors.

By Khagan Isayev