China’s commerce ministry has strongly condemned the UK government's decision to nationalize British Steel, accusing Britain of violating the 1986 China–UK Bilateral Investment Treaty and harming the rights of its current owner, China's Jingye Group. The UK government seized full control of the Scunthorpe steelworks—which employs 2,700 people and loses roughly £1.3 million daily—to protect jobs and maintain the country's independent ability to produce virgin steel. While a UK government independent valuer will assess potential compensation for Jingye in the autumn, this dispute threatens to severely strain London-Beijing relations just as incoming UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham takes office on Monday.