MPs on the Commons business, innovation, science and trade select committee have concluded that the UK is effectively making up its China policy "as it goes along," raising concerns that the country lacks a coherent approach since 2024. The committee said this vacuum has left British companies uncertain and national security risks insufficiently addressed.
Findings from the inquiry criticised the Labour government’s failure to set out a clear, consistent strategy on China. The report said that the current situation "combined the worst of both worlds" for the UK, creating economic friction for businesses while failing to provide robust safeguards against security threats.
The committee warned that without a defined national strategy, the UK risks having its policy direction shaped externally—either by alignment with the United States or by acquiescence to Beijing. MPs said this strategic drift could limit the government's ability to protect national interests and to give British firms clear rules of engagement in trade and investment with China.
The report urged ministers to produce a comprehensive, government-wide China policy that balances economic opportunities with security considerations, and to communicate that policy clearly to businesses and other stakeholders. The committee’s findings are intended to prompt a coordinated response across departments to reduce uncertainty and manage the bilateral relationship more deliberately.
The inquiry adds to growing parliamentary scrutiny of how Britain handles its relationship with China, reflecting broader debates about trade, technology, and security. MPs called for urgent action to establish coherent objectives and mechanisms for implementation to avoid further policy inconsistency that they say has characterised the post-2024 period.