China has accused UK MPs of “arrogance, ignorance and a twisted mindset” in the row over British Steel.

Parliament passed emergency legislation last Saturday allowing business secretary Jonathan Reynolds to take control of the Scunthorpe plant from its Chinese owners, Jingye.

The dramatic move came after talks between the government and the company to save the site broke down.

Reynolds initially said that he did not believe a Chinese firm should have any say in the site’s future, but has since rowed back and insisted he was only talking about Jingye.

Now, in new comments published on their website, the Chinese Embassy in the UK has hit back.

A spokesperson claimed: “The anti-China rhetoric of some individual British politicians is extremely absurd, reflecting their arrogance, ignorance and twisted mindset.”

It said Jingye is a private enterprise not linked to the Chinese government, and that the firm saved British Steel workers’ jobs when it took over in 2020.

The embassy suggested it was a “normal decision” to close blast furnaces, like the ones used at Scunthorpe.

The row has sparked fears that it could jeopardise UK-China relations at a time when Labour have been trying to boost inward investment from the country.

The embassy added: “Any words or deeds that politicise or maliciously hype up business issues will undermine the confidence of Chinese business investors in the UK and damage China-UK economic and trade cooperation.

“We urge the British government to follow the principles of fairness, impartiality and non-discrimination and to make sure that the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies in the UK are protected.”

The embassy also compared Britain’s response to British Steel with the lack of public criticism towards Donald Trump’s tariffs, writing: “What on earth are they up to?”