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

A damning 102-page parliamentary report accuses the Burnham government of re-engaging with China "without having finalised its China audit or published a strategy," leaving British firms unable to plan and the country exposed to unmanaged national security risks. Committee chair Liam Byrne warned that without clear rules, Britain risks having its China relationship "shaped for us in Washington or Beijing." MPs are pressing Burnham to clarify how far his approach differs from his predecessor's.

The last-minute decision to block Ming Yang's £1.5 billion wind turbine facility is cited in the report as evidence of "reactivity, inconsistency, and opacity" in decision-making.

MPs warn the policy failure is also endangering EU trade ties, with British firms facing exclusion from major manufacturing contracts.

The committee wants Chinese technology barred from critical national infrastructure and is demanding stronger measures against unfair Chinese subsidies.