Ed Miliband squirmed today as he refused to explain why Labour is keeping secret detail of a green energy deal he struck with China.
The Energy Secretary went to Beijing last March and signed what Chinese media said was an agreement to co-operate in key areas including ‘power grids, battery storage, offshore wind power and green hydrogen’.
But 11 months later the UK government has not released any further details of what was pledged with the authoritarian communist regime, despite warnings that Chinese involvement in energy systems could be used as a front for spying.
Keir Starmer himself has warned Chinese firms could be blocked from involvement in wind farms.
Mr Miliband was pressed on why Labour had yet to publish details of the agreement, despite doing so for those made with other countries, as he was questioned by the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee this afternoon.
But in a heated exchange with Conservative MP Bradley Thomas, while repeatedly saying he was happy to answer ‘any questions you like about our relationship with China’, he failed to do so.
When Mr Bradley asked ‘why is China being treated differently’, Mr Miliband replied: ‘With certain countries we have certain approaches, with others we have other approaches, as with previous governments.’
He eventually had to be rescued by the Labour committee chairman Bill Esterson, who blocked further questioning, leaving Mr Thomas to say: ‘This government has a very inconsistent approach, they have released the text of deals with other countries but not with China, there is a two-tier approach quite evidently.’
Defence and intelligence officials have increased their warnings about China having a role in energy infrastructure in recent months.
In January Keir Starmer said Chinese companies could be banned from building wind farms in Britain on national security grounds.
He said his Government was still considering whether or not to allow one firm, Mingyang, to set up a £1.5billion turbine manufacturing plant in Scotland.
It had been expected that he would give the project, which could create up to 1,500 jobs, the go-ahead during his visit to Beijing.
But there are fears that it would leave the UK dangerously over-reliant on China for renewable energy technology.
The Trump administration is also thought to have warned the UK Government that it poses a national security risk, amid fears Chinese-built wind turbines could house surveillance technology and eavesdrop on military bases.
The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed last March that Mr Miliband had signed the Clean Energy Partnership Memorandum of Understanding … which agrees to enhance cooperation on renewables, grid modernisation and clean technologies, while protecting the UK’s national security.’
But it went into no further detail and there has been none since. Chinese outlets at the time had more information about the agreement signed with Wang Hongzhi, head of China’s National Energy Administration.
Mr Miliband accused his shadow energy secretary Claire Coutinho of believing ‘conspiracy theories’ when she raised the deal int he Commons yesterday.
She had asked him to publish the deal, adding: ‘We have heard repeatedly from intelligence services that China might seek to disrupt our energy system, so it is crucial that the public get to see what he has signed us up to.
‘Will the Secretary of State commit to publishing the full text of his secret energy deal with China, and if not, will he tell the House what it is that he is trying to hide?’
He replied: ‘May I give the Right Hon Lady a piece of advice? Wacky conspiracy theories that she gets on the internet are no substitute for a proper policy.’
