No 10 is under pressure to reveal whether Jonathan Powell has been involved in talks to allow 
Ming Yang’s £1.5B investment to build a wind turbine factory in Scotland.
The company’s proposed wind turbine factory, which was announced on Oct 10, would be the UK’s largest. It would supply turbines for offshore wind farms in the North Sea, which are located near vital subsea cables and communications links.
The plans for Ming Yang’s involvement in the factory have sparked concerns from the White House over the UK’s reliance on China, and from the Royal Navy, which fears Beijing could use offshore wind farms to spy on Britain.
But the Treasury is keen to encourage more Chinese investment in the UK while Ed Miliband’s climate department is said to see the new factory as key to meeting his goal of decarbonising the energy grid by 2030.
Powell, who is one of the Prime Minister’s most powerful advisers, is currently at the centre of the row over the dropped Chinese spying case, and has faced significant scrutiny over his links to Beijing.
In a statement, Ming Yang said it had held “extensive discussions” with the Government and was now awaiting “final approvals” for the plans.
MPs, government officials and military figures have all publicly and privately expressed concerns about the security risks of them going ahead.
At the start of the year, Royal Navy chiefs briefed MPs that China could use wind farms to spy on ship and submarine movements and disrupt communications.
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said Downing Street must declare whether the national security adviser has been involved in internal discussions around whether to approve the planned investment.
“There are serious national security issues with allowing Chinese company Ming Yang to have such a significant role in our energy industry.”
“Giving China access to our critical national infrastructure is incredibly risky – which is why our allies in the US are worried about it too.”
“Keir Starmer must confirm what role his national security adviser Jonathan Powell is playing in this process and what promises, if any, have been made to Ming Yang.”
“And he must prove that there is no connection between this investment and the decision to drop the China spy case.”
“Labour are cosying up to China and putting Britain’s safety at risk. Only the Conservatives can be trusted to put the national interest first.”
Nick Timothy, the Tory MP for West Suffolk: “Ministers seem uncertain about whether to call Beijing a threat — but letting Ming Yang into our infrastructure would undoubtedly be a dangerous and reckless decision we will come to regret.”
“Given his alleged role in the collapsed spy trial, we need to be told what role Jonathan Powell has had in this decision.”
“This policy is driven by the ideology of Ed Miliband, but it is the job of the national security adviser to keep this country secure. A deal with Ming Yang does the opposite.”
Ministers have previously said that, because it concerns an energy project, the Ming Yang investment would be “subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny”.
Government records show that executives from Ming Yang met Poppy Gustafsson, Sir Keir’s former investment minister, twice in the past year.
On the first occasion on Dec 6 last year it was to discuss the company’s “investment aspirations” whilst the second meeting on June 18 was “to discuss investment into offshore wind and supply chain development in the UK”.
Jonathan Reynolds, the former business secretary, also met with representatives from Ming Yang on Oct 14 last year.
Although the firm is privately owned, concerns have been raised about the level of influence that Beijing is able to wield over all Chinese companies.
In particular, China’s National Intelligence Law requires all businesses to cooperate with state intelligence work if they are asked to.
telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/1
Ming Yang’s £1.5B investment to build a wind turbine factory in Scotland.
The company’s proposed wind turbine factory, which was announced on Oct 10, would be the UK’s largest. It would supply turbines for offshore wind farms in the North Sea, which are located near vital subsea cables and communications links.
The plans for Ming Yang’s involvement in the factory have sparked concerns from the White House over the UK’s reliance on China, and from the Royal Navy, which fears Beijing could use offshore wind farms to spy on Britain.
But the Treasury is keen to encourage more Chinese investment in the UK while Ed Miliband’s climate department is said to see the new factory as key to meeting his goal of decarbonising the energy grid by 2030.
Powell, who is one of the Prime Minister’s most powerful advisers, is currently at the centre of the row over the dropped Chinese spying case, and has faced significant scrutiny over his links to Beijing.
In a statement, Ming Yang said it had held “extensive discussions” with the Government and was now awaiting “final approvals” for the plans.
MPs, government officials and military figures have all publicly and privately expressed concerns about the security risks of them going ahead.
At the start of the year, Royal Navy chiefs briefed MPs that China could use wind farms to spy on ship and submarine movements and disrupt communications.
Dame Priti Patel, the shadow foreign secretary, said Downing Street must declare whether the national security adviser has been involved in internal discussions around whether to approve the planned investment.
“There are serious national security issues with allowing Chinese company Ming Yang to have such a significant role in our energy industry.”
“Giving China access to our critical national infrastructure is incredibly risky – which is why our allies in the US are worried about it too.”
“Keir Starmer must confirm what role his national security adviser Jonathan Powell is playing in this process and what promises, if any, have been made to Ming Yang.”
“And he must prove that there is no connection between this investment and the decision to drop the China spy case.”
“Labour are cosying up to China and putting Britain’s safety at risk. Only the Conservatives can be trusted to put the national interest first.”
Nick Timothy, the Tory MP for West Suffolk: “Ministers seem uncertain about whether to call Beijing a threat — but letting Ming Yang into our infrastructure would undoubtedly be a dangerous and reckless decision we will come to regret.”
“Given his alleged role in the collapsed spy trial, we need to be told what role Jonathan Powell has had in this decision.”
“This policy is driven by the ideology of Ed Miliband, but it is the job of the national security adviser to keep this country secure. A deal with Ming Yang does the opposite.”
Ministers have previously said that, because it concerns an energy project, the Ming Yang investment would be “subject to the highest levels of national security scrutiny”.
Government records show that executives from Ming Yang met Poppy Gustafsson, Sir Keir’s former investment minister, twice in the past year.
On the first occasion on Dec 6 last year it was to discuss the company’s “investment aspirations” whilst the second meeting on June 18 was “to discuss investment into offshore wind and supply chain development in the UK”.
Jonathan Reynolds, the former business secretary, also met with representatives from Ming Yang on Oct 14 last year.
Although the firm is privately owned, concerns have been raised about the level of influence that Beijing is able to wield over all Chinese companies.
In particular, China’s National Intelligence Law requires all businesses to cooperate with state intelligence work if they are asked to.
telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/1
Quote
Byron Wan
@Byron_Wan
Ming Yang (明阳智能), one of China’s largest turbine makers, has announced plans to invest up to £1.5B in a new factory in Scotland — subject to final approvals from the UK government.
[Ming Yang is led and run by PLA veteran Zhang Chuanwei (张传卫), who has sworn eternal x.com/byron_wan/stat…