China Dismisses UK Spy Claims as Fabrication After Case Dropped

China said the collapse of an espionage trial that had been brought by the UK’s chief prosecutor shows that the case was without merit all along — comments that come as the two nations take early steps to repair ties.

“Now that the UK judicial authorities have dropped the case, it is all the more evident that the so called spying for China allegation is pure fabrication,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Thursday.

“China firmly opposes peddling spying activities and the China-threat narrative to vilify China, and we urge some in ...