China Invokes Investment Treaty Against UK Over British Steel Nationalisation

The UK nationalised British Steel on July 16, 2026, protecting 4,000 jobs after Jingye Group threatened to abandon the Scunthorpe steelworks. China's Ministry of Commerce said it "firmly opposes" the move, invoking the China-UK bilateral investment treaty and pledging to support Jingye's legal remedies. The UK plans an independent valuation of compensation, which may determine whether the dispute escalates to formal investor-state arbitration.