Exclusive:Revealed: How SNP ministers have wooed controversial Chinese firm MingYang for floating wind investment
Scottish Government ministers have met with the company several times despite national security concerns.
John Swinney and his ministers have repeatedly met with a controversial Chinese wind turbine manufacturer to woo the firm to invest in Scotland despite national security concerns faced by the UK government in allowing China to enter Britain’s energy market.
Details of the meetings have emerged, described in internal documents as “extensive” engagement, despite the UK government still to make a national security decision over whether to allow China to participate in crucial energy supply chains.
The revelation comes after the company, MingYang, announced £1.5 billion plans last week to open a turbine manufacturing facility in Scotland. The announcement has piled pressure on the Westminster government to allow Chinese companies to enter the UK energy manufacturing supply chain despite national security concerns - with fears around China intensifying this week amid a Westminster spy scandal.
But correspondence obtained through Freedom of Information shows the First Minister, Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and business minister Richard Lochhead have spent the past 12 months meeting MingYang - while “extensive” engagement has taken place “for several years” by the Scottish Government’s international investment arm.
Mr Lochhead has also held talks with another Chinese manufacturer, Blue Ocean Wind, over the company playing a role in Scotland’s wind turbine manufacturing. He was also pictured in a social media post, visiting Chinese firm Orient Cable's southern China manufacturing hub in Yangjiang.
Opposition parties have criticised the extent of the meetings, claiming MingYang could represent a “real risk to national security” and urging ministers to come clean on details from the talks.
MingYang has been suggested as the preferred supplier of turbines for the Green Volt floating wind farm 50 miles off the coast of Peterhead, with the UK government acknowledging a “proposed procurement agreement” with the Chinese firm. Cerulean Winds, which is constructing three 1GW floating wind farms in the North Sea, has also been linked with MingYang.
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Correspondence and records show Mr Swinney has met twice with MingYang, while Mr Lochhead discussed investment with the company while on a trade visit to China. Ms Forbes has also held talks with the firm, one of the world’s biggest turbine manufacturers and the firm behind the OceanX twin-rotor floating wind platform.
In October 2024, just five months after becoming First Minister, Mr Swinney met the chairman of MingYang, Zhang Chuanwei, at the UK government’s international investment summit in London to “discuss investment plans for Scotland”, in a meeting not recorded in the official record on ministerial engagements, instead classed as a “brush-by” encounter.
This was “followed up with a letter emphasising the strategic value that MingYang’s investment could bring to Scotland” to Mr Chuanwei, who has an estimated personal wealth of more than £700 million.
In April of this year, Mr Lochhead, on a trade visit to China, met with MingYang. Mr Lochhead met the Chinese company’s senior vice-president, Rui Zhang, to “further discuss MingYang's investment plans”. Correspondence reveals a “ministerial letter” was sent to the chairman of MingYang as a follow-up.
Two days later, the SNP business minister met Dou Jianrong, the chief executive of another Chinese renewables manufacturer, BlueOcean Wind.
According to the company, “both sides had a friendly and positive exchange on Blue Ocean Wind Group's active participation in the supply chain construction of the Scottish offshore wind projects”. Mr Lochhead also visited Orient Cable’s manufacturing hub and held talks with Chinese state-owned China National Petroleum Corporation, while in the country.
In May, an email by the Scottish Government's director of trade and international development, Richard Rollison, stated that “both we and DBT (UK department for business and trade) are continuing to engage with MY (MingYang) to seek to attract the investment”.
Correspondence shows that an unnamed Scottish official “visited MingYang factory and headquarters in Yangijang City, China, in May 2025”. Officials boasted the Scottish Government’s international investment and trade agency, Scottish Development International (SDI), has been “working closely on the proposition for a Scottish manufacturing facility since 2023, while “there has been extensive Scottish Government and Team Scotland engagement with MingYang since”.
In June, Ms Forbes, in her role as economy secretary, spoke to MingYang vice-president Aman Wang, which records show was an “opportunity to emphasise the Scottish Government’s support for inward investment, within the limitations of UK government decision-making under reserved powers”.
In a briefing note prepared for Ms Forbes ahead of the meeting, her officials highlighted a “key message” that “Team Scotland stands ready to support MingYang with developing its investment plans for Scotland”.
The briefing note states the Scottish Government is “engaging closely with the UK government to understand the security implications of potential foreign investment in energy-related infrastructure”.
Five days later, Ms Forbes met UK investment minister Poppy Gustafsson where “the investment opportunity to bring MingYang to Scotland was discussed”. Ahead of Ms Forbes’s meeting with the Labour minister, her officials admitted that SDI has “been working with MingYang for several years, have hosted various inward visits and support Team Scotland coordination with DBT to streamline engagement with the company”.
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Then on July 8, records show Mr Swinney met the company’s chief executive, Mr Chuanwei once again, but this time at Bute House. Heavily redacted minutes show the First Minister “emphasised” the Scottish Government’s “commitment to working closely with companies to realise opportunities and address practical issues”.
The encounter, tagged as a “private meeting”, was seen by Mr Swinney’s officials as a chance to “explore what more the Scottish Government and team Scotland can do to support you [MingYang] in selecting a site”.
Scottish Conservative shadow energy and environment secretary Douglas Lumsden said: “Secretive SNP ministers need to urgently come clean on their meetings with this firm.
“There are real concerns that this company could pose a real risk to national security, so Scots deserve to know the extent of the nationalists’ dealings with them.
“Frankly, they should be telling them that this technology is not welcome in major energy projects that will be built here.
“Given some of the meetings were not officially recorded, the SNP must be upfront with the public rather than displaying their usual aversion to transparency.”
Scottish Lib Dems MP Christine Jardine said: “Holding secret meetings off the public record hardly suggests that the SNP is being open and transparent.
“You’d think they’d be more sceptical of Chinese firms given some of the recent publicity. Giving Chinese firms potential control of vital infrastructure is a risk to both our energy and national security.”
Ms Jardine added: “A deal which puts Chinese firmware in our energy infrastructure could allow their government to turn them off in a crisis.
“Our governments both in Edinburgh and in London must conduct immediate strategic audits of the reach of China’s interests and influences in our country. That must cover every aspect of our society that is dependent on Chinese cash and technology, from university departments to wind turbines.”
A UK government spokesperson said MingYang was “one of a number of companies that wants to invest in the UK”. The spokesperson said: “Any decisions made will be consistent with our national security.”
A Green Volt spokesperson confirmed to The Scotsman that “no turbine supplier has been confirmed”, adding “we will comply with any government regulation and guidance around security of critical national infrastructure in the selection of all our suppliers”.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “We recognise the MingYang investment is subject to a decision from UK government and we await the outcome of that process.
“We welcome the company has chosen Ardersier as its preferred location. The port is strategically important to the growth and success of the offshore wind sector. This illustrates the strength of opportunity and huge economic potential that the Scottish offshore wind sector offers.“
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