Latest news with #Chinese embassy
South China Morning Post
02-08-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China-built satellite station a ‘shining' example of support for Namibian space programme
On the outskirts of the Namibian capital Windhoek, a Chinese-funded and built satellite data receiving ground station symbolises China's growing cooperation in Africa's nascent space industry. The station was described by the Chinese embassy as 'a shining example of China-Namibia cooperation ' as they celebrated the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations. In a social media post on July 18 announcing the completion of the satellite facility ahead of time earlier this year, the embassy said it aimed to support Namibia in developing its space-related infrastructure and training technical talent , while enhancing its capacity in remote sensing satellite applications'. The ground station will primarily receive, process and distribute remote sensing satellite data for various applications such as environmental monitoring, agriculture , disaster management and resource assessment in the southwestern African country. China will also provide technical training to dozens of engineers to build up Namibia's capacity to operate and use the station independently. This ongoing cooperation highlights China's growing influence in space, as it helps African nations to build their space capabilities through strategic partnerships.
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Beijing warns Labour over EV grants
Beijing has warned Labour that it will 'resolutely safeguard' its electric car industry after it emerged that the Government will block Chinese electric cars from a new grant scheme. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy called on the UK to follow World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and create a 'non-discriminatory environment for investment'. WTO rules stipulate that members must not give favourable treatment to one country over another when it comes to trading goods and services. Department for Transport (DfT) officials intend to reject Chinese applications for the £650m Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme, which will reduce the purchase price of a new electric vehicle (EV) by as much as £3,750 for vehicles costing up to £37,000. The scheme will reject applications from nations with poor sustainability records or high carbon emissions. China's electric car manufacturing and battery production industries are reliant on fossil fuels, barring them from the discounts. Lilian Greenwood, the transport minister, told the BBC's Today programme on Wednesday: 'We don't expect any cars that are assembled in China to be eligible for this scheme. 'The grant is restricted to those manufacturers that reach minimum environmental standards. And, frankly, if you generate a lot of the electricity that powers your factory through coal power stations, then you are not going to be able to access this grant.' However, the restrictions have prompted a backlash from Chinese officials at a time when manufacturers are battling intense competition in the country while trying to gain a foothold in the West. An embassy spokesman said: 'China has abolished all market access restrictions on foreign investment in manufacturing and remains open to international carmakers, including those from the UK, who can fully share in the dividends of China's big market. 'We hope the UK's industry policy will observe WTO rules, respect market economy laws and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory environment for the investment and operation of businesses from all countries, including China. 'The Chinese side is closely following the situation and will resolutely safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.' Carmakers including BYD and MG, which assemble their vehicles in China, are expected to blocked from the scheme. BYD, which recently overtook Tesla as the world's largest EV manufacturer, said it still planned to push for inclusion in the scheme for vehicles such as the Dolphin Surf, which is on sale in the UK for less than £20,000. The company is also preparing to scale up car production at a new factory in Hungary to build cars for the European market. Bono Ge, BYD's UK country manager, said: 'We welcome the new electric car grant and its potential to help drive awareness and uptake of electric cars in a key, price-sensitive part of the new car market. 'Like other car brands, we have informed the DfT of our intention to make an application for inclusion in the ECG scheme and look forward to being part of it.' BYD sales have climbed rapidly in the UK since it started selling its cars last year. It has sold about 20,000 vehicles so far this year compared with 8,700 across the whole of 2024. UK officials hope the grants will encourage drivers to switch to electric cars ahead of a pledge by Labour to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles from 2030. Under the Government's zero emission vehicles mandate, 28pc of cars sold this year must be pure electric. Carmakers that miss the target risk being punished with fines. The European Union has been engaged in a trade dispute with China over its EV imports as cut-price Chinese car brands flood the bloc and threaten the traditional dominance of French and German carmakers. Chinese electric carmakers have been locked in a vicious price war in their home market, with concerns that it has become saturated while demand for EVs remains tepid. On Wednesday, China's cabinet warned of 'irrational' competition in the country's car market and vowed to scrutinise prices. A DfT spokesman said: 'Our electric car grant will give drivers across the UK access to discounts on dozens of new electric car models, helping them save up to £3,750 per car and putting money back into the pockets of working people.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Beijing warns Labour over EV grants
Beijing has warned Labour that it will 'resolutely safeguard' its electric car industry after it emerged that the Government will block Chinese electric cars from a new grant scheme. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy called on the UK to follow World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules and create a 'non-discriminatory environment for investment'. WTO rules stipulate that members must not give favourable treatment to one country over another when it comes to trading goods and services. Department for Transport (DfT) officials intend to reject Chinese applications for the £650m Electric Car Grant (ECG) scheme, which will reduce the purchase price of a new electric vehicle (EV) by as much as £3,750 for vehicles costing up to £37,000. The scheme will reject applications from nations with poor sustainability records or high carbon emissions. China's electric car manufacturing and battery production industries are reliant on fossil fuels, barring them from the discounts. Lilian Greenwood, the transport minister, told the BBC's Today programme on Wednesday: 'We don't expect any cars that are assembled in China to be eligible for this scheme. 'The grant is restricted to those manufacturers that reach minimum environmental standards. And, frankly, if you generate a lot of the electricity that powers your factory through coal power stations, then you are not going to be able to access this grant.' However, the restrictions have prompted a backlash from Chinese officials at a time when manufacturers are battling intense competition in the country while trying to gain a foothold in the West.
