黑洞社区

China has warned its deepening business ties with the UK have been put at risk by Theresa May鈥檚 unexpected decision to review the 拢18bn Hinkley Point C nuclear plant scheme in Somerset.

The Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming has said his country鈥檚 relations with the UK are at a 鈥渃rucial historical juncture鈥� following the government鈥檚 decision last month to review public subsidies promised to the project, which is a third-owned by state-owned China General Nuclear.

Writing in the Financial Times, Xiaoming said: 鈥淚f Britain鈥檚 openness is a condition for bilateral co-operation, then mutual trust is the very foundation on which this is built.鈥�

鈥淩ight now, the China-UK relationship is at a crucial historical juncture. Mutual trust should be treasured even more. I hope the UK will keep its door open to China and that the British government will continue to support Hinkley Point 鈥� and come to a decision as soon as possible so that the project can proceed smoothly.鈥�

Prime minister May is reported to have ordered the last gasp review due to reservations about China taking a large stake in a key piece of UK infrastructure, with Hinkley Point C set to meet 7% of the UK鈥檚 energy needs when and if it completes. The review will conclude in 鈥渆arly autumn鈥�.

The Chinese ambassador鈥檚 intervention comes after a string of major investments by Chinese companies in the UK in recent weeks.

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