A former head of MI6 has warned that China could plunge Britain into chaos by targeting the National Grid, as concerns grow over the UK's dependence on Beijing.
Sir Richard Dearlove said: "Such peacetime dependencies give China strategic leverage and in a crisis it gives them weapons of mass disruption which could literally bring this country to a complete standstill."
Loss of manufacturing leaves UK exposed
Speaking to MPs, Sir Richard said the loss of British manufacturing had left the country dangerously vulnerable to a hostile foreign power controlling crucial materials needed to keep the electricity network running. He warned that harmless commercial dependencies in peacetime could become devastating weapons during a confrontation.
At an event for MPs held by the Coalition on Secure Technology, Sir Richard said: "In ceasing to manufacture it has exported its exposure to the energy systems of its suppliers, some of whom are strategic adversaries."
Foreign policy 'held to ransom'
The former MI6 chief said Britain had effectively handed control of critical vulnerabilities to countries that could become adversaries. He warned that reliance on foreign suppliers was not simply an economic problem, but could directly threaten national security.
Sir Richard said: "Our foreign policy is therefore fettered and could even be held to ransom."
Concerns over Chinese technology in UK infrastructure
The warning comes amid mounting concerns over how Chinese technology and equipment has become embedded in British infrastructure. A recent expert report warned that internet-connected agricultural machinery could potentially be exploited by groups linked to Beijing to spy on British farmers and gather intelligence about UK food security.
Fears have also grown over Chinese-manufactured electric buses and whether they could be remotely switched off. The National Cyber Security Centre and authorities in Norway launched investigations into related concerns.
Sir Richard said the potential consequences of interference with the electricity network would dwarf the disruption caused by individual pieces of equipment. He told MPs: "The idea that 'your No22 is not running today because it's just been immobilised by the manufacturer' is fairly comic. But the weakening of the electricity grid is altogether of another order."
According to Sir Richard, Britain and its allies still have the ability to design and assemble equipment required for the National Grid. However, they increasingly lack the capacity to manufacture the necessary raw materials and components.
Last year, the Government was accused of failing to properly confront the threat posed by Chinese hacking, amid claims that sensitive British systems and organisations could be targeted by Beijing.
The latest warning comes after Labour nationalised British Steel in April, taking control of the company from its Chinese owners to protect jobs and keep its remaining blast furnaces operating. The Government had owed almost £1 billion to the Chinese owners before the takeover.
