The spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce answers questions from journalists regarding the nationalization of the British steel industry by the UK government.

A reporter asked: On July 16, the British government announced that it had passed relevant legislation to nationalize the British steel company owned by the China Jingye Group. What is China's comment on this? China strongly opposes and is deeply dissatisfied with the British government's decision. British Steel had been operating at a loss for many years before Jingye acquired it. Jingye injected huge amounts of capital into British Steel after the acquisition, keeping the company operating and preserving jobs. The British side disregarded the important contributions Jingye made to the British economy and society, and forcibly took over and then nationalized British Steel in the name of national security, seriously damaging Jingye's legitimate rights and interests and severely undermining the confidence of Chinese companies in investing in the UK. China urges the British government to abide by relevant international rules, fulfill its obligations under the China-UK Investment Protection Agreement in a practical manner, treat Chinese-funded enterprises in the UK fairly and justly, and fully safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. China will closely monitor the situation, support Chinese companies in using legal means to defend their rights, and take strong measures to firmly defend the interests of Chinese companies.