By all accounts, the visit by the delegation of leading Chinese businessmen was a resounding success. Hidden away in sleepy Shropshire, Grainger and Worrall is a world-leader in the precision casting business. It prides itself on turning molten metal into complex components used in wind turbines, racing car engines, and speedboats.
But not all its products are so benign. The firm also makes key parts for military drones, vehicles, and artillery; its website is illustrated with photos of RAF helicopters, Royal Navy destroyers and Army tanks. And it’s with these products in mind that the team from the China North Industries Corporation, a Chinese manufacturing giant usually known as Norinco, paid a visit in 2015.
The Norinco team, led by Wang Yulin, president of its Development Academy of Machinery and Equipment, and Xiaoqing Cheng, the general legal adviser to its Vehicle Research Unit, were evidently impressed. “They are a large industrial company with 300,000 employees that covers planes, trains and automobiles,” Charlie Bamber, G&W’s business development manager for Asia, later told the Shropshire Star. “There’s no limit to the opportunity.”
Among the possibilities was a “joint venture” — the building of a “mass production entity” that would use G&W’s technology in China. Such a factory, Bamber continued, “can’t be in Shropshire, but parts leading up to it can. It’s clearly an opportunity for the county”.
Yet a crucial detail was left out from his statement. Namely, that the Chinese characters that make up Norinco’s name in Mandarin — 中国兵器工业集团公司 — do not mean “China North Industries Corporation” in English, as the firm implies. What they really stand for is: “China Arms Industry Group Co. Ltd”.
Even so, G&W could not plead ignorance. It is well-reported that Norinco, owned by the Chinese state, is the biggest weapons manufacturer in China, producing tanks, grenade launchers, shells, rotary cannons, drones, missiles and strike aircraft. In 2003, George W. Bush sanctioned the company for selling ballistic missile technology to Iran. It has since been blacklisted in America because of its close relationship with the People’s Liberation Army, following executive orders issued by Donald Trump and Joe Biden.
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SubscribeNothing new in British companies selling technology to the enemy: Rolls-Royce Kestrel V12 Aero engines to the Nazis, and Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets to the Soviets…
It was the Brits who trained Japanese pilots prior to the second world war.
..and built a good part of their navy in the early 1900s.
The issue this article hints at but never quite addresses is whether the UK government is fully aware of G&W’s relationship with Chinese arms manufacturers. That’s the real story, imo.
To what extent did the UK government willingly provide defense-related technology to China? Has this relationship changed now that China and the UK are no longer friendly? Does the chance to make money by selling arms components to China supersede issues of national security? Or is UK politics in such chaos that no one is consistently paying attention to issues like these?
Using clickbait titles like “Is this British company ….” are really annoying (as the author clearly specifies the name of the company in the article)
”Are British companies companies ….?” would be far more fitting.
Please don’t get into this appalling habit – which is particularly common on trash websites.
I’ll go back and read the article now.