Labour is 'making up China policy as it goes along' and putting national security at risk, MPs warn

A scathing 102-page parliamentary report, published Monday, accuses the Burnham government of leaving Britain exposed to "unquantified, unmanaged risk" from China by placing "diplomatic politeness" ahead of national security. Committee chair Liam Byrne cautioned that, absent a coherent strategy, the UK could find its China policy shaped by either Washington or Beijing. The report judged Labour's record to have been defined by "reactivity, inconsistency, and opacity," pointing to the eleventh-hour block on Chinese firm Ming Yang's £1.5 billion wind turbine plant in Scotland as an example.

MPs are calling for a ban on Chinese technology in critical national infrastructure, warning that sensitive data is already being transferred.

The report cautions that businesses are unable to plan commercially because clear guidance on China has never appeared, despite Labour's 2024 pledge to produce a long-term strategy.

The committee also pressed Burnham to explain how his approach to Beijing diverges from Starmer's, saying it "awaits confirmation" of continuity between the two administrations.