WELSH GOVERNMENT SPENT OVER £12,000 ON CHINA TRIPS AS SECURITY FEARS MOUNTED
It has emerged that the Welsh Government spent £12,460.97 sending officials to China in just two months. The Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar, is now calling on the new Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government to come clean on whether it plans to continue the practice.
Written questions tabled by Darren Millar MS reveal that two officials travelled to China between January and March 2026, with the bill charged to the Welsh Government's procurement credit card at hotels and travel providers. The previous Labour Welsh Government claimed the visit was to support St David's Day activity and meet with investors.
The revelations also come against a backdrop of serious security concerns, with three men with links to Welsh Labour were arrested earlier this year on suspicion of assisting a foreign intelligence service.
Darren Millar MS, Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, said:
"Labour spent more than £12,000 of Welsh taxpayers' money sending officials to China at the very time more than half a million people in Wales were waiting for NHS treatment. The public deserve to know exactly what was achieved and demonstrates how this represents value for money.
"Wales cannot afford to be naive about the threat posed by China. We have seen the arrests of individuals with deep links to Welsh Labour politics on suspicion of spying for China. The Welsh Government needs to be clear about who it is engaging with and why.
"The new Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government must now confirm whether it intends to continue sending officials to China at taxpayers' expense. Given serious security concerns, and our struggling public services, the people of Wales deserve a straight answer."
