Latest news with #LukedePulford
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
BBC's Race Across the World accused of ignoring Chinese brutality
The BBC's Race Across the World programme has been accused of ignoring the brutality of the Chinese government. Contestants have returned to the country for the latest series of the game show, in which teams attempt to travel long distances between locations without using air travel. The programme had previously not been filmed in the communist country since its first series aired in 2019. But now, on its return, concerns have been raised that the show has been ignoring the violence and oppression of the ruling regime. One segment in the latest series showed contestants in the town of Huangling. They were filmed marvelling at the picturesque surroundings, tiled rooftops and chillies drying on unique wooden platforms. One of those taking part said: 'This is what I think of when I think of China '. Sir Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative Party leader, said: 'The reality is there's not much point having a programme which has China without talking about the Chinese Communist Party and their brutality.' Accusing the party of 'committing a genocide', he added: 'It is a country that has carried out endless exercises threatening the existence of Taiwan and it is a country that has really rapaciously bought and run mines and others in third-world and developing countries. 'If the BBC does something in China, they should put that up front and centre and say this is the country that you are going to compete in. 'It's not just another country, it is a country that poses a significant threat to the very existence of the BBC and the things that we stand for.' Luke de Pulford, a human rights campaigner who founded the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said: 'Entertainment should not come at the cost of ignoring the realities faced by millions, from Uyghurs in forced labour camps to suppressing civil society voices. 'Glossing over these issues risks helping Beijing whitewash its global image.' Race Across the World is made by production company Studio Lambert. It said that standard agreements were made with the Chinese authorities in order to film in the country. A Studio Lambert spokesman said: 'As is the case with filming throughout the series, filming permissions were put in place. 'We experienced no difference with filming in China than in any of the other countries Race Across the World has travelled through.' Contestants in the latest series have been tasked with travelling from northern China to the southernmost tip of India, via Nepal. China was not included in the programme's Asia-based series in 2024 because of continuing Covid-19 travel restrictions. A spokesman for Race Across the World said it was a 'factual entertainment show that aims to explore culture and everyday life through the eyes of those we follow in the race and the people and challenges they meet on the route.' They added: 'Our focus is on human connection and storytelling, rather than geopolitical commentary.' The popular series, which offers a £20,000 prize for the winning team, won a television Bafta award in 2020 for best reality or factual show.
Telegraph
28-04-2025
- Automotive
- Telegraph
Don't plug phones into Chinese electric cars, defence firms warn
Defence companies have been warned not to plug phones into Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) amid spying fears. British firms working in defence and intelligence fields have instructed their staff against connecting their mobile phones either via Bluetooth or charging cable into Chinese-made cars. Executives at two defence companies told The i paper that they were concerned about spying by Beijing, which dominates the EV market, and as a result, they were taking a 'belt and braces' approach. It comes after the Ministry of Defence banned EVs from being parked on military bases and asked staff to park at least two miles away from select buildings because of concerns that the cars could be used to facilitate spying. A recent report by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) found that electric cars posed a potential threat to national security as they were vulnerable to Chinese spying. EVs are due to be introduced for all ministers and officials by the end of 2027. It is feared that even those vehicles made in the West with Chinese parts are susceptible. All electric vehicles are deemed to be 'connected', meaning that data and information are sent out beyond the vehicle, sometimes over the internet. However, there is no blanket ban on Chinese-made electric vehicles being bought for the government fleet, despite spying concerns. According to The i Paper, the defence companies which have taken precautions against Chinese EVs, include BAE Systems, Rolls Royce, Raytheon, Lockheed Martin and Thales. 'Sensible precautions to take' One executive at a British defence firm told the paper: 'The sale of Chinese cars is growing in the UK, and we are, rightly, cautious about that. We are making our staff aware of the sensible precautions to take if they choose to buy a Chinese EV.' Another said: 'It is safe to assume that every major defence supplier is concerned about the tech in Chinese-built cars. 'In the same way that Government departments and defence firms have long told staff not to plug memory sticks into their work laptops to prevent security breaches, it is a sensible precaution not to plug your phone into your car because all the data could become vulnerable.' It comes after Kemi Badenoch, the Tory leader, recently warned that Labour is 'too close' to China after the Government was forced to seize control of British Steel. 'Vulnerable to manipulation' Luke de Pulford, the executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, previously told The Telegraph: 'Any device requiring remote software update is vulnerable to manipulation. 'The issue with Chinese electric vehicles is that Beijing's regulations make it possible for the Chinese government to use this capability for ill. With China having already been accused of spying on a ministerial car, this is a risk we should not take. 'If we can only meet the 2027 target by purchasing Chinese electric vehicles, with attendant security risks, the policy needs a rethink. National security comes first.' A spokesman for the British Government said: 'This Government has helped develop new international regulations to clamp down on potential threats in vehicle construction, monitor emerging threats and respond to any cyber-attacks.'
Euronews
25-04-2025
- Business
- Euronews
UK government to ban use of ‘slave labour' solar panels by new state-owned energy company
ADVERTISEMENT Solar panels made with slave labour in China won't be used by the UK's new state-owned energy company, the government announced today. GB Energy was launched by Labour in July, in a bid to boost renewables and lower energy bills, and will be formally established when the Great British Energy Bill is passed by Parliament. After weeks of debate on the issue, energy secretary Ed Miliband is introducing an amendment to the legislation to try and ensure GB Energy's supply chains are free of slavery. 'Unfortunately, there's a problem right the way throughout the renewables sector with state-imposed forced labour in China,' Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) told BBC Radio 4's Today programme. 'They have labour transfer schemes where the government conscripts, very often ethnic minorities, and forces them to work against their will, and sadly, many such workers are placed within renewable industry in China .' Related Why fossil fuels are like renting a home - and solar panel imports soon pay for themselves Chinese solar panels tied to exploitation of Uyghur Muslims Around 45 per cent of the world's supply of polysilicon - a core component in solar panels - comes from China's Xinjiang region. It is produced through the systemic exploitation of the Uyghur ethnic minority living here, according to an investigation by researchers at the UK's Sheffield Hallam University. Official Chinese government documents detail the 'placement' of 2.6 million 'minoritised' citizens in jobs in farms and factories in Xinjiang and elsewhere through state-sponsored 'surplus labour' and 'labour transfer' initiatives. The 2021 report, In Broad Daylight, found significant evidence that 'labour transfers are deployed in the Uighur Region within an environment of unprecedented coercion, undergirded by the constant threat of re-education and internment. 'Many Indigenous workers are unable to refuse or walk away from these jobs, and thus the programmes are tantamount to forcible transfer of populations and enslavement.' Related Eight countries in Europe use renewables for more than half of their heating and cooling needs World surpasses 40% clean electricity with Europe leading as a 'solar superpower' Do the UK and EU use these solar panels? Although alternatives are emerging, almost all solar modules rely on polysilicon, which is extracted from mined quartz. The UK imports more than 40 per cent of its solar PV from China, according to HMRC data. Asked how difficult it will be for the government to increase its use of renewables without using Chinese slave labour, de Pulford acknowledged it will require 'a transition' in order to 'diversify' solar supplies. 'But it's not impossible and companies are, I think, slowly inching towards a better place – we have to find a better way of doing it, that doesn't mean that we have a green transition reliant upon Uyghur slavery,' he told the BBC. Fatih Birol, leader of the International Energy Agency , told the broadcaster: "I really salute the UK government's decision." He added that the materials for green technology are important but "should really be produced in a socially and environmentally acceptable way". ADVERTISEMENT The EU has previously taken steps to keep renewable components made with slave labour out of its supply chains. In November , the European Council moved to ban products in the Union market that are made using forced labour.
The Independent
14-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Race against time to secure future of British Steel as No 10 accuses Chinese owners of not acting in good faith
The UK is in a race against time to save the British Steel blast furnaces from being forced to close down amid allegations of Chinese sabotage. Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner used a visit to the British Steel site in Scunthorpe to express confidence that the government will be able to save the plant after passing emergency legislation on Saturday to take control of it from Chinese firm Jingye. But government officials are frantically trying to secure essential raw materials, including coking coal and iron ore, needed to keep the two blast furnaces at the Scunthorpe plant operational. Once the furnaces are turned off it is very difficult to bring them back into use, and officials believe British Steel's Chinese owner Jingye had been planning to let the raw materials run out in a move that could have shuttered the blast furnaces and made the UK more reliant on Chinese exports of so-called virgin steel. The drama came as Downing Street accused the Jingye of 'not acting in good faith' as it tries to secure the raw materials necessary to keep the furnaces going. Meanwhile, senior figures from Labour and the Tories have added their voices to the government putting 'security first'. A number of former ministers have described the British Steel problems as 'a wake up call' for the UK to exclude Chinese investment in critical industry. Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, warned: 'It is an explicit strategy of the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the industrial base of foreign countries.' The government stepped in at the last minute to prevent Chinese company Jingye from shutting down the blast furnaces after negotiations for a rescue deal collapsed. There were allegations that the company was selling off raw materials for the British Steel site to prevent it from being operational. Speaking in Scunthorpe, Ms Rayner said: 'We're confident that we've got the raw materials and these furnaces will continue to be fired, and that was really important for the future of British Steel, and the government stepped in and took the action that was necessary. "Yes, there's more that we need to do over the next coming months and years, but this was a crucial step forward for British Steel in the UK." Pushed on whether the government had paid for the materials, she added: "We've got the raw materials, they've been paid for, and we're confident that the furnaces will continue to fire." As the politics around the decision intensified, China's foreign ministry urged the UK to 'treat Chinese businesses that have invested and operate in the UK fairly and justly, (and) protect their legitimate and lawful rights and interests'. Spokesman Lin Jian said the UK should 'avoid politicising trade cooperation or linking it to security issues, so as not to impact the confidence of Chinese enterprises in going to the UK'. Prior to the issues with British Steel, there have been concerns over Chinese control of the UK's critical infrastructure, including China's influence over the UK's 5G network with Huawei, and its attempts to invest in nuclear energy. Former defence secretary Sir Gavin Williamson, who was sacked by Theresa May following allegations he had leaked about plans to allow it to develop 5G in the UK, pointed out that steel is essential for UK defence and security. He said: 'It's absolutely clear that we have to show such a level of caution allowing Chinese companies to be involved in any form of critical national infrastructure and critical industries. Quite simply, we are going to have to take moves to make sure that they are excluded from such investments in the future.' Tobias Ellwood, a former minister in the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Foreign Office (FCDO), added: 'It's a wake up call. It certainly is a very progressive but clandestine approach. China does this very well. It is able to usurp itself into critical national infrastructure capability, able then to turn the taps on and off as they will, blaming the economic circumstances in a particular country but it's very dangerous for Britain.' Sir Iain Duncan Smith, founder of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) with 40 countries in it, who has been sanctioned by China, warned that the current Labour government has cosied up to China too much with trips by chancellor Rachel Reeves among others and granting planning permission for a controversial new Chinese embassy building in London. He called for China to be put in the top category of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme (FIRS) to prevent it from investing in critical infrastructure. He warned: 'China has completely subverted the World Trade Organisation rules. Of course we need to stop them investing in critical industries but we also need to prevent them from dumping large amounts of steel, electric cars and other goods on us to flood our markets and destroy our industries. 'The EU has tariffs to prevent this and we need to do the same.' Meanwhile, Labour chairperson of the Commons trade and business committee, Liam Byrne, confirmed that his committee wants to 'get to the bottom of Chinese ownership of critical infrastructure' in an inquiry. Dame Emily Thornberry, the Labour chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee, added: 'We need to listen to security advice and let that guide us. Security first.' Trade minister Douglas Alexander was the latest senior government figure to go to Chinese controlled territory leading a delegation to Hong Kong as political pressure to break ties with Beijing mounted. Mr Alexander expressed 'deep concern' over the refusal by the Chinese authorities in Hong Kong to allow Lib Dem MP Wera Hobhouse enter the territory after her criticism of the suppression of democracy and imprisonment of activists.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The UK has taken British Steel back from China. But can it afford to jeopardise its trade relationship?
The UK government has intervened to take back British Steel from its Chinese owners, in an unprecedented move which could amount to the most significant nationalisation this century. Government ministers have accused the company's owners, Jingye, of attempting to sabotage the Scunthorpe plant by allowing it to 'It is an explicit strategy of the Chinese Communist Party to undermine the industrial base of foreign countries,' said Luke de Pulford, director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China. The government is meeting with Jingye representatives today in a bid to save the steelmaking plant from closure. Meanwhile, China is warning the UK against 'politicising' British Steel, according to reports from AFP, in the midst of criticisms over Chinese ownership by business secretary Jonathan Reynolds. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China's foreign ministry, urged the British government to 'avoid politicising trade cooperation or linking it to security issues, so as not to impact the confidence of Chinese enterprises in going to the UK'. The drastic action taken on British Steel adds pressure to the UK's relationship with China, in particular since both invest in each others economies. The current Trump trade war shows that China is willing to retaliate when pushed, with current tariffs on US goods escalating to 125 per cent. In the wake of Britain's emergency takeover, Mr Reynolds confirmed that there must now be a 'high trust bar' when dealing with firms from China. 'I think we have got to be clear about what is the sort of sector where, actually, we can promote and co-operate, and ones frankly where we can't,' he told Sky News hosts on Sunday. He added: 'I wouldn't personally bring a Chinese company into our steel sector.' Overall, Chinese foreign direct investment (FDI) into the UK stood at £4.2 billion in 2023, according to government figures. But British investment into China was actually twice as high, at £8.8 billion in the same year. However, both economies' mutual investment have gone down significantly since Covid, dropping by around a third on either end. Another point of tension is the UK's new foreign influence registration scheme (FIRS), due to come into force on 1 July. Late last year, a new alleged spying scandal involving a Chinese individual close to Prince Andrew led to pressures for China to be classified as an enhanced risk via FIRS. China is currently not listed alongside Russia and Iran, but some MPs and Lords have expressed concern about why China is not on the enhanced tier considering the 'epic threat' it poses to UK security. Officials have alleged that the near-shutdown of Scunthorpe was part of an attempt to sabotage the UK's last remaining virgin steel plant – making the UK reliant on virgin steel from China. China exported iron and steel products worth $288 million during 2024, according to the UN trade database. It is unclear how much virgin steel, produced directly from iron ore and known for high strength, is manufactured in British Steel's Scunthorpe plant. China is the UK's fifth largest trading partner, with total trade at £89 billion in the year up to November 2024. But trade between the two countries has been dwindling, down by 13 per cent (£13.3 billion) from the previous year. Exports from the UK to China saw the biggest decrease last year, down by 17.4 per cent. Around 86,900 businesses in the UK import goods from China. The UK is highly dependent on goods from China, making up 95 per cent of all goods imported to the UK. It also buys more goods from China (£53.9 billion) than it exports (£19.9 billion). The top products bought from China span across technology and electronics, including phones, electrical goods, and cars such as electrical vehicle giant BYD. The UK also exported billions in cars to China last year, at £4.7 billion in value; with British brands like Rolls Royce and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) big players in the luxury car market. China have increasingly become buyers of luxury products more widely, with household names like Burberry and Charlotte Tilbury making gains in the Chinese market. While UK ministers warn against Chinese companies' involvement in key industries, several British companies have benefitted from providing services in China and Hong Kong. Financial services, such as banks and investment managers, are one of the UK's biggest exports to China and Hong Kong, amounting to £4.4 billion across the two regions in the year up to November 2024. When chancellor Rachel Reeves visited China in January, she sought deeper economic ties within financial services. At the time, China had recently granted new commercial licences for leading UK firms like Schroders, and Aberdeen Investments (formerly abrdn). HSBC and Standard Chartered are among two British financial companies which have had a longstanding and significant presence in China. If the UK threatens Chinese investment into the UK, then British services exporting to China and Hong Kong could also face disruptions if China chooses to retaliate. Other top services exported to China include travel (£6.3 billion) and other business services (£1.2 billion), while British transportation exports have jumped by 26 per cent to nearly £1 billion in the same period.
