Foreign Policy 19h 37m left
Should the UK ban Chinese investment in key industries like energy and telecoms?
The UK has no outright ban on Chinese investment in energy or telecoms. Deals are screened case by case under the National Security and Investment Act 2021, which lets ministers block or impose conditions on acquisitions in 17 sensitive sectors. Huawei was barred from 5G, and some Chinese energy deals have been blocked, while Chinese-linked projects continue elsewhere. A Commons committee report published on 2 November 2026 criticised the government's approach as ad hoc and recommended a 'red zone' of strategic capabilities closed to Chinese trade and investment. The government rejected the committee's verdict.
9 Opinions
Key industries need protection and retaining nationally owned capabilities must be a consideration, as should be preventing subterfuge.
Especially energy.
This is something that is bothering me, foreign investment in our industries. I heard about foreign investment in other countries and it doesn't always go well. Can we protect our industries from being run badly by foreign buyers?
The Chinese have been caught using tech to spy on multiple occasions. When governments show you who they are, you should take heed. We should be independent of ALL outside sources of energy. Buy components, by all means, but construction, engineering and IP, should stay domestic.
Only in the same way we perhaps need to create our own European IT systems rather than rely on American or Israeli ones, as they too could switch off the plug one day.
Subterfuge. A word I never thought I would be able and willing to use so easily … 🥴🤫
This is where the free market has to have limits. We shouldn't be selling off our most sensitive national infrastructure to foreign powers just to appease global investors. Strategic industries need to be kept secure and accountable to the UK public.
The Chinese would never allow the reciprocal.
Foreign investment should be blocked, but there should be legal limits on the proportion of a UK company that can be held by foreign investors. Completely selling off UK companies to foreign investors shouldn’t be possible