Britain needs China to reach its net zero targets, the Business Secretary has said, as Cabinet ministers insisted a row over spying should not result in a breaking of ties with Beijing.

Kemi Badenoch’s comments came as Tory backbenchers demanded action against China in the wake of allegations that a parliamentary researcher was a spy for the country.

She was one of a series of senior ministers, including the Prime Minister, to speak out in favour of continuing to engage with Beijing despite the claims.

On a tour of a Mini car factory in Oxford as she announced a £600 million investment to produce only electric cars by 2030, Mrs Badenoch said: “At the moment, China is leading on this technology, so we wouldn’t be able to get to where we want to get to on net zero by completely stopping or banning Chinese products.

“You can’t exclude Chinese-made products from the battery ecosystem.”