EXC Jonathan Powell suppressed a major Whitehall investigation into Chinese spying after lobbying from the Treasury. Powell decided in June that the Government would not publish details about Beijing’s espionage from the Foreign Office’s “China audit”.
His decision came after the Treasury said releasing information from the “comprehensive” analysis of China’s influence in Britain could damage trade and investment links. The audit, promised in Labour’s manifesto, became just two paragraphs in Powell’s National Security Strategy
The Foreign Office interviewed hundreds of witnesses between October 2024 and June 2025 to reveal a “full spectrum of threats” against the UK, including espionage and cyber-attacks. It included classified evidence from Britain’s intelligence services.
Story: Treasury blocked release of China spying files https://www.telegraph.co.uk/ne...
No10 has denied that Jonathan Powell had anything to do with the decision not to provide the CPS with evidence that China is a threat to national security in the Cash and Berry case. The claim that he pushed for this report to be published in its most minimal form is not denied.
UPDATE: Treasury spox says they “did not engage directly with the National Security Adviser or seek to influence assessments on espionage”. No denial that the Treasury had concerns about the way in which those assessments were communicated.
@Tony_Diver Why qualify the statement with the word 'directly'?
@Tony_Diver Update: your Telegraph story is bollox.
@Tony_Diver This has Powell’s sticky prints all over it. Anyone who has worked with him will know (should be a few left at FCDO from years gone by who could confirm). And note the use of “directly”. 🙄