Army chiefs have been warned against outsourcing British military uniform production to China amid spying fears. Experts believe the Chinese Communist Party could be hiding tracking devices inside items of clothing and employing slave labour in the manufacturing process.
Former Leader Condemns Potential Outsourcing
Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith labelled the proposed move “astonishingly stupid” because of the threat China poses to Britain. He warned that outsourcing uniform production to Beijing was “tantamount to having our uniforms made by Nazi Germany in the 1930s”. Sir Iain added: “We are giving Beijing control over the nature of our uniforms as well as the robustness of them. China poses the greatest threat to Britain since the Second World War. Why would you give a country like that control of your essential military supplies? And let them track where these uniforms get shipped? It is astonishingly stupid, unbelievably short-sighted and it’s artificially cheap.”
£526m Contracts at Stake
The intervention came as British manufacturing firms were set to bid for three new Army uniform manufacturing contracts worth around £526 million. Previous contracts for British combat gear were awarded to Northern Ireland-based textiles company Cooneen Defence between 2018 and 2023. However, Cooneen then outsourced the majority of this work to Chinese textiles manufacturers, prompting security concerns.
Tracking Device Fears and Delays
The rollout of British military badges redesigned ahead of the King’s coronation was delayed amid fears Beijing could sneak tracking devices into the Chinese-manufactured products. Human rights campaigners have also warned it is “likely” that the Chinese Communist Party is using slave labour to make kit on the cheap in a bid to undercut British rivals. One industry source said that lower-quality Chinese-made uniforms need to be replaced more frequently than equivalent British-made products.
Industry Calls for Domestic Production
Andrew Kinniburgh, of Make UK Defence, a defence trade body representing 900 UK defence companies, said: “It has always been unacceptable that our Armed Forces are being provided with Chinese-made uniforms when we have British companies in areas of the country with a long history of textiles production. The Ministry of Defence must stop outsourcing Army uniforms to China and back British companies. This would support UK jobs in communities that desperately need backing.”
Ministry of Defence Response
An MOD spokesperson said: “The Ministry of Defence undertakes procurement in line with the appropriate public procurement regulations which are based on best value for money for the taxpayer. Where suppliers do source textiles from outside of the UK, strict rules must be adhered to, including to ensure security and prevent modern slavery in supply chains.” The Chinese embassy was contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
