Hinkley Point: China ambassador warns over “crucial historical juncture” in UK relations
China’s ambassador to the UK has issued a warning over relations between the countries as the British government considers whether to approve the Hinkley Point project.
Liu Xiaoming said the delay in approving the scheme has brought the nations to a “crucial historical juncture”.
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Liu said he hopes the UK “will keep its door open to China”, which is due to fund around a third of the £18bn Hinkley Point project.
Writing in today’s FT, he also said he hoped the UK government would “continue to support Hinkley Point – and come to a decision as soon as possible so that the project can proceed smoothly”.
His warning comes after the UK government said last month it wanted until the autumn to review the project.
The surprise announcement came after French energy company EDF approved the scheme.
Read more: Row between unions and EDF over Hinkley delay ramps up
Liu noted that Chinese companies have invested more in the UK than in Germany, France and Italy combined in the last five years.
He said: “If Britain’s openness is a condition for bilateral co-operation, then mutual trust is the very foundation on which this is built.”