Chinese involvement in Sizewell nuclear plant the 'next Huawei', MPs warn
Chinese involvement in the Sizewell C nuclear power station will be the “next Huawei,” MPs have warned, as they called for an entire overhaul of the energy policy.
It comes after EDF, the French energy company on Wednesday submitted an application to build the next nuclear power plant in Suffolk, which it intends to develop with the state-owned energy company, China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN).
However Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader, warned the power plant was “the next Huawei”.
“It is another major manifestation of the problem we face having set out on the wrong path with China years ago,” Sir Iain told The Daily Telegraph.
“With Huawei, with Sizewell C, one by one you will see the scale of dependency we have created on China and we have to deal with it.”
Earlier this week Security officials launched a review of Huawei's involvement in Britain's 5G network in the wake of US sanctions.
“I think our whole energy policy needs to be reviewed in light of our issue with China,” Sir Iain added. He urged the Government to address “fundamental errors” within the energy policy, as he cautioned that by pursuing a nuclear deal with China it would only make the UK “more dependent on China as we create more power stations”.
He cited “plenty of other sources of genuine British produced energy” that would be “quicker and cheaper” than working with China.
“We don't need to do this. It is a complete mistake now to even think about going ahead with this,” he said.
His thoughts were echoed by Bob Seely, part of a group of Tory MPs opposed to Huawei, who warned that while an amount of trade with China was needed he was “concerned that if we become dependent on Chinese-built Critical National Infrastructure in the UK we may live to regret it”.
“Sadly, the China of the last twenty years has been replaced by a new Chinese leadership which is much more combative and frankly ideological,” Mr Seely said.
The Isle of Wight MP called for “a thorough review of how the UK, and the Western alliance, interacts with China”, before “highly significant decisions” are progressed.
He said such a review should encompass “free and fair trade, human rights, surveillance, espionage and security, the risks of Chinese CNI in the UK, the Communist party’s geopolitical ambitions as well as the interests of our key allies in the Pacific”.
Meanwhile Nick Timothy, former adviser to Theresa May, who has previously warned in this newspaper on the UK’s need to stand up to China, said: “This is as serious as the decision to allow Huawei into our telecommunications network. We must not allow China any further role in our critical national infrastructure, especially our nuclear power stations.”
