Miliband Faces Pressure Over China Net Zero Deal Secrecy

Ed Miliband, the UK Energy Secretary, is under mounting scrutiny for withholding details of a net zero cooperation agreement signed with China earlier this year. Despite growing demands for transparency, the government has yet to publish the full text of the memorandum—breaking with its own precedent of releasing similar agreements with Canada, Norway, South Korea, Ireland, and Chile.

While in China this March for a high-level visit, Miliband pledged deeper collaboration on green energy technology, meeting with senior Chinese officials and touring energy facilities. The trip was positioned as a bid to reset pragmatic ties between London and Beijing, with a focus on addressing the climate crisis. However, the lack of public disclosure regarding the agreement has stoked fears over national security and Britain’s critical energy infrastructure—concerns sharpened by recent warnings from Ministry of Defence officials about potential Chinese exploitation of wind farm technology for espionage.

According to reports from Chinese media, Miliband’s deal lays the groundwork for joint work on power grids, battery storage, offshore wind, carbon capture, and hydrogen technology. Yet, UK government sources insisted that Chinese investment in British infrastructure was not on the agenda, characterising the agreement as a renewal of a decade-long partnership to share research and drive global emission reductions.

Opposition figures, including Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho, have sharply criticised the lack of transparency. “Intelligence services have warned us about Chinese state-sponsored hackers infiltrating Western energy systems, so it is deeply concerning that Ed Miliband is refusing to publish the full text of his deal with China,” Coutinho stated. She also demanded clarity over Ofgem’s involvement, noting that its chief executive, Jonathan Brearley, extended his visit for further closed-door talks with Beijing officials.

The recent row over the Green Volt wind farm, where Chinese firm Mingyang Smart Energy was chosen to supply turbines, has added to suspicions about Beijing’s presence in the UK energy market. Although British officials stressed that the new memorandum is not about promoting Chinese investment, critics are demanding full disclosure in light of potential security implications.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero maintains that the memorandum is a non-binding framework to facilitate the exchange of ideas in support of the clean energy transition globally, not an invitation for Chinese capital. Calls for transparency continue, as MPs and the public alike press for the government to release the agreement and detail any knowledge shared with Chinese officials during the trip.