SNP accused of 'shockingly dismissive' attitude to national security over Ming Yang

Ming Yang had proposed building the facility in Ardersier, near Inverness, with the potential for creating up to 1,500 jobs.

But the plans were blocked by the Westminster government over national security concerns about the Chinese firm.

The Scotsman previously revealed John Swinney had pressed the new Prime Minister to reconsider the proposal during his first meeting with Mr Burnham. The First Minister has also formally written to Mr Burnham over the issue.

SNP energy minister Stephen Gethins said it was a “massive blow” that the plans have been vetoed by the UK government.

READ MORE: Swinney calls on Burnham to review Ming Yang's controversial wind factory plans blocked by Labour

He told BBC Radio Scotland’s Breakfast programme: “The First Minister is right to ask about this. This is 1,500 jobs in the north of Scotland. It’s also an area that is being transformed by that move towards offshore renewables, Scotland continuing to contribute.

“It’s an area which is, in general terms, important for security. Scotland is contributing to European energy security, which is a concern across Europe when you speak to leaders there.

“Also, let’s be blunt: China is investing in the energy sector and the ICT sector, and in fact Chinese investment across Europe has gone up over the past couple of years.

“Even in sensitive areas like information and communication technologies, energy presence in higher education, this will have a huge impact in terms of jobs, investment, but also us making that transition to renewables as well, which is well under way.

“This is a massive blow, the veto that’s come from the UK government, and I think it’s absolutely right that the First Minister asked the question why.”

Highlighting he is someone who has been sanctioned by Russia, Mr Gethins said national security is of “paramount importance” and he does not take the issue lightly, but he added it is right to push back on the decision on Ming Yang.

“As the energy minister, we are – I am – right to push back on this,” he said. “I see the fantastic potential. I see the jobs that are being produced, and national security goes both ways.

“There’s an issue of national security in terms of our energy security, and Scotland’s got a massive role to play.”

But Ian Williams, a former correspondent who spent 20 years covering China, said Mr Gethins was “surprisingly and shockingly dismissive of the national security issues”.

He told the same programme: “The Chinese know the constitutional fault lines in the UK. They’ve been lobbying the Scottish government very hard.”

Mr Williams, the author of the book Vampire State: The Rise and Fall of the Chinese Economy, said the risks of embracing the Chinese technology are “extremely serious”, adding: “The risks in terms of espionage, surveillance, sabotage - they’re enormous.”

He continued: “The risk is incredibly profound, and to open the doors to this sort of technology - to effectively hand over the decarbonised grid to the control of the Chinese Community Party - staggering.

“And I think it’s enormously naïve to dismiss these sorts of national security issues.”

He said it would also make the UK “much more beholden to China”, making standing up to them difficult.

Mr Williams added: “For all these multiple reasons we need extreme caution, and it does seem to me to be very worrying that the Scottish government should be reopening these issues when clearly Swinney himself has had a briefing on the national security implications.”

He said the UK government should publicise its concerns with Ming Yang in order to clear the air.

READ MORE: John Swinney 'irresponsible' for urging Andy Burnham to rethink Labour's Ming Yang factory block

Scottish Conservative MP and shadow energy minister Andrew Bowie said: “The SNP need to stop playing party politics over this serious situation and listen to the experts.

“Stephen Gethins effectively dismissed concerns around national security because he and John Swinney are desperate to get the UK Labour government to U-turn and score some quick headlines.

“That is the exact opposite attitude nationalist ministers should be taking when there are serious reservations about what Chinese involvement in this project could mean.

“Everyone wants to boost the number of energy-related jobs in Scotland, but the SNP cannot be pinning all their hopes on this investment.

“If they were really serious about protecting jobs and our energy security, then they would finally ditch their hostile attitude towards oil and gas and back plans to get Britain drilling again.

“Their presumption against new licences has had a devastating impact on the sector across Scotland and while the SNP and Labour continue to dither, 1,000 jobs a month are being lost from the industry.”

Ming Yang’s UK chief executive Aman Wang said: “We were disappointed by the government’s decision in March.

“We fully respect the government’s duty to protect national security and have always been clear that we will meet the requirements the UK sets.

“Our proposed investment at Ardersier would bring £1.5 billion of investment and up to 1,500 direct jobs, with up to 8,000 more in the supply chain.

“We are committed to supporting the growth in every postcode that this government wants to see, to reindustrialisation and to lowering energy bills.”

A UK government spokesperson said: “After careful consideration the government concluded that there are national security risks associated with the use of Ming Yang wind turbines in UK offshore wind projects.”