Acquitted ‘China Spy’ Contradicts Security Assessments in BBC Interview
Authorities seized his laptop and phone, a move that may have facilitated the download of his Signal conversation history.
Following this, Berry messaged Cash regarding the incident.
Cash stated he had not been alarmed by the seizure: “I assumed it was standard practice for someone who had spent time in China.”
As the investigation unfolded, authorities concluded that Cash and Berry participated in an informal but dangerous exchange of information that was prejudicial to the safety and interests of the United Kingdom.
The claims were based on 6,273 messages exchanged between them, which Cash has now provided to the BBC. His solicitor confirmed that these messages are genuine.
These communications occurred during a period when Cash joined the China Research Group (CRG)—founded by Tugendhat and fellow Tory MP Alicia Kearns—and when Berry worked for the Chinese firm Strong, where he drafted political and economic reports for clients.
Court documents indicate that Berry authored 34 reports for a person connected to the Chinese state spy agency, allegedly passing information received from Cash. Strong declined to comment on the BBC’s request for information.
Although the CRG’s office lay across the river from Westminster, Cash frequently attended parliamentary meetings. He held no government security clearance, and there is no evidence he possessed access to classified materials.
Despite the distance separating them, the two friends maintained close contact, exchanging messages daily.
The BBC review revealed that their messages discussed a range of topics, including sanctions on China, the technology firm Huawei, human rights issues, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and British foreign policy.
Cash explained that he used Signal for nearly all his contacts with Chinese individuals, arguing it was a precaution for protection, as he warned that discussing government matters could result in trouble. Neither Cash nor Berry utilized the app’s disappearing messages feature.
Cash asserted that much of the information was already public, and he supplied the BBC with a detailed spreadsheet containing links and references to substantiate his claims.
Occasionally, however, Cash shared insights from official meetings and private Westminster discussions. Twelve times, he explicitly marked such material as “off the record” or “very off the record” before forwarding it.
Cash described this as “excitedly sharing insights from his professional work” with Berry.
One message recounted private views allegedly expressed by Britain’s then-ambassador to China, Dame Caroline Wilson, during a discussion with the CRG regarding China’s influence on UK universities.
Cash also shared unverified rumors about the personal lives of two UK cabinet ministers with Berry. There is no evidence that Berry passed this information to his Chinese counterparts.
Cash maintained that such exchanges represented routine political discussion and emphasized that they did not involve classified information.
