The Ministry of Commerce of China File photo: VCG

Asked to comment on the UK Secretary of State for Energy’s statement on the UK Parliament’s website, claiming that the UK government does not support the use of MingYang Smart Energy turbines in UK offshore wind projects, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) said on Tuesday that the UK side’s decision to exclude Chinese products from its offshore wind projects on the grounds of “national security” runs counter to the UK’s long-held commitment to an “open and free” market philosophy.  

It is detrimental to the economic development of local communities in the UK and to the improvement of people’s well-being, and will negatively impact practical bilateral economic and trade cooperation. China firmly opposes this move, the MOFCOM spokesperson said.

The spokesperson noted that during his visit to China in January this year, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer explicitly stated that the UK is willing to strengthen cooperation with China in various fields such as trade, investment, finance, and environmental protection, so as to support each other’s economic growth and bring benefits to the people of both countries.

The MOFCOM spokesperson urged the UK government to provide a fair, just, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, earnestly promote pragmatic cooperation in the economic and trade fields between China and the UK, and promote the healthy development of bilateral relations.

Global Times