Illustration: Chen Xia/GT
British newspaper the Daily Telegraph last Sunday published an article titled "Fresh fears raised over China’s wind turbine factory in Highlands." It cites Ian Williams, a former UK correspondent in China, saying that the wind turbine factory planned by China’s Ming Yang Power in the Scottish Highlands would pose "an enormous threat" to UK’s national security.
Although the report claims that "fresh concerns have been raised," this is nothing but a rehash of a familiar narrative - certain Western media outlets have repeatedly distorted China’s involvement in Western infrastructure projects as the so-called "national security threats." Yet, it is worth noting that the article was published amid the aftermath of the so-called "China spy" case in the UK, with a clear intention to deliberately link China’s normal commercial investments with the unsubstantiated "espionage risks." The remarks cited from Ian Williams are even more absurd: he claimed that the wind turbines should not be viewed as "pieces of inanimate metal," and suggested that these "incredibly smart Chinese-made structures" could be used as "a means of surveillance or espionage."
For certain conservative factions in the UK, wind turbines are indeed not mere "pieces of inanimate metal," but rather a "sitting target" meticulously crafted to stir up sentiment and smear China. From the so-called "spy" case and the site of the Chinese Embassy in the UK, to the security guideline issued by MI5, some British politicians and media have persistently labeled everything related to China as a national security threat. Behind this lies their ulterior motive to advance anti-China political goals through the securitization of normal exchanges.
Li Guanjie, research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of Global Governance and Area Studies, told the Global Times on Monday that "the ongoing hyping of China-related issues by certain UK Conservative politicians and media outlets is a calculated partisan strategy. By persistently disseminating false information and manipulating public discourse, they aim to intervene in the government’s decision-making. These tactics are particularly pronounced against the backdrop of the UK government’s unclear stance, striving to cultivate a tougher policy toward China."
Such narrative manipulation, driven by political self-interest, is fundamentally detached from the UK’s genuine security concerns and overlooks the country’s national interests and practical development needs. According to a recent report by the Financial Times, "China’s cost advantage in turbine manufacturing had grown huge at about 40 percent, at least compared with Western rivals," which will strongly support Britain to decarbonize its power system by 2030.
Moreover, the Ming Yang Power’s substantial 1.5 billion pounds ($2 billion) investment in Scotland is expected to create up to 1,500 jobs and boost the local economic development. The fact that senior officials of the Scottish government repeatedly met with Ming Yang officials to encourage the firm to invest in Scotland underscores their recognition of the project’s tangible benefits. Therefore, the politicization and securitization of wind power facilities will severely hinder the UK energy transition progress and ultimately harm its local economy and public welfare.
The Ming Yang investment still awaits final approval from the UK government. The outcome will be a key test for the government - it will measure whether the government can make a rational choice between political noises and economic benefits. Perhaps the greatest security challenge facing the UK today is not the imagined fear of China’s "enormous power over UK energy grid," but rather whether its policymaking can free itself from the interference of irrational anti-China rhetoric.
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/1021/c90000-20379654.html