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The Story

Why questions remain about the collapsed China spying case

The Story

The Times

News, Investigative Reporting, Long-form Audio, Current Affairs, In-depth Journalism, Daily News, Audio Storytelling, Daily News Podcast, Global News, Politics, Uk News, News Analysis, Exclusive Interviews

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 16 October 2025

⏱️ 37 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Since the case against two British men accused of spying for China suddenly collapsed, the Government and the Crown Prosecution Service have been playing the blame game, each accusing the other of being responsible. So who’s really at fault? And did China get a free pass in order to secure a better trade deal?

This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory


Guest: Caroline Wheeler, Political Editor, Sunday Times. 

Host: Manveen Rana. 

Producers: Olivia Case, Micaela Arneson. 

Read more: 

Further listening: The Westminster aide suspected of spying for China 

Clips: Sky, WION, BBC, ITV, Parliament TV, Channel 4.

Photo: Alamy, Lauren Hurley/No 10 Downing Street/Crown Copyright, Faculty AI, Adobe Stock, Denise Kelly. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


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Transcript

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From the times and the Sunday times

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this is the story

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