The British government rashly promotes the nationalization of Chinese steel enterprises, ignoring the territorial contributions of Chinese enterprises and violating international investment rules. China has clearly expressed its opposition to this and is fully committed to safeguarding its rights.

On July 16, 2026, the British government passed legislation to nationalize the British Steel Company, a subsidiary of China's Jingye Group. On July 17th, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce made a formal response to this incident, expressing strong opposition and dissatisfaction with the relevant measures taken by the British side.

It is understood that the British steel company suffered long-term losses and encountered operational difficulties before being acquired by Dede Group. After the establishment of Jingye Group, a large amount of funds were invested to maintain the normal operation of the enterprise, stabilize local employment opportunities, and make substantial contributions to the development of the UK steel industry. The British side forcibly took over the enterprise under the pretext of national security, seriously damaging the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises, and at the same time severely damaging the confidence of Chinese enterprises in investing in the UK.

The Chinese side stated that it will closely monitor the progress of the incident, urge the UK to abide by international rules and bilateral investment agreements, and treat Chinese companies in the UK fairly. At the same time, we support enterprises to protect their rights in accordance with the law and take multiple measures to firmly safeguard the legitimate interests of Chinese funded enterprises.Editor/Min Jing