UK welcomes Chinese investment in electric vehicle sector, envoy says

The United Kingdom remains open to Chinese businesses and welcomes investment from China in its electric vehicle sector, British Ambassador to China Peter Wilson said on Thursday, underscoring London's goal of building a secure and resilient economic partnership with Beijing.

Wilson, who assumed his post in August, noted that the number of Chinese EVs on British roads is increasing rapidly from a low base. He said the UK government has made a "deliberate decision not to impose tariffs on EVs", unlike the European Union. "We need more electric cars on our roads to meet our net-zero targets, and it doesn't matter which country they come from," he said.

The envoy stressed that the UK does not have a China-specific policy on EVs, but rather a broader EV policy that applies equally to all. "We welcome Chinese investment in the UK's EV industry. We have a number of Chinese car makers who are making cars in the UK, which is great for us. And we're keen to encourage more of that," he said.

He added that the UK is also cooperating with a range of battery manufacturers to establish plants in the country and to leverage China's world-leading battery technology in UK-made products.

Wilson expressed confidence that in the long run, cooperation with China in trade, security and climate aligns with the UK's interests.

On broader bilateral ties, he said the UK-China relationship is "too important and too complex to describe in a single word". He stressed that London seeks a partnership that is "stable, pragmatic and long-term".

"We like to use three words to describe this relationship: consistent, long-term and strategic," he said, noting that these aspirations require joint efforts.

He added that pragmatism and mutual respect are equally vital. "We're also recognizing that we come from different systems, which means mutual respect must go both ways," Wilson said, adding that only on that basis can the two countries build a stronger relationship despite their differences.