Security concerns over China investment in nuclear projects

Fears from senior military and intelligence figures, who have warned Ministers that plans to allow China to take a stake in sensitive national infrastructure could pose a security risk, have been raised ahead of next week’s state visit by the communist regime’s leader Xi Jinping.

Moreover, a state visit is not an occasion when you expect serious negotiations on any subject. How golden can the full picture be in reality?

China-UK relations have embarked on a golden era for many cooperation opportunities. The Dalai Lama denies the charge. It could also refer to things such as British ministers visiting places like Xinjiang, sending the wrong signals that their country does not care about human rights issues in China.

Britain has become China’s second largest investor and trading partner within the European Union. The two countries have facilitated EU-China Investment Agreement negotiations.

Britain and China: “we’ll stick together”. There will be criticism of Chinese investment in nuclear power.

Xi is expected to use a speech at Guildhall next Wednesday to set out how he hopes to make London the global centre for offshore Chinese finance.

British contractors are keen to win key deals in China, especially in the infrastructure, energy and banking sectors. Such deals would signify Western economies’ recognition of Chinese-developed high-end technology, thus marking China’s successful industrial transition from factories producing goods involving low-end technology to become a producer of advanced technology. As an invitation to reinterpret the meanings of the ancient Silk Road, the New Silk Road is also the anticipation of new productive exchanges and encounters, the promise of future harmonies. At Xi’s summit with Obama during his state visit, China announced that it would work with the US Agency for global Development towards the United Nations poverty reduction goals, though no details of the planned cooperation have been revealed.

The Prince of Wales will hold “one-to-one talks” with the president but will not attend the banquet, to be hosted by Queen Elizabeth II.

Human rights campaigners have attacked China’s recent crackdown on political dissent, with waves of arrests and detentions, as well as growing restrictions on Christians.

Mr Xi arrives on Monday, but the state visit officially begins on Tuesday when he receives a ceremonial welcome in central London. The British government has moved forcefully to strengthen financial ties with Beijing. “They don’t see a lack of confidence in China; I think they see a few rebalancing of economy”, said Guy Dru Drury, China Chief Representative of the CBI.

Charles has not been silent in the past about China especially with his support for Tibet and The Dalai Lama, who is a friend of the royal. On the other hand, China is aware of the different voices within the EU.

“Historically, China has been very adept at “punishing” countries that bring up human rights too forcefully, putting them in the dog house, and then forcing them to “repair” the damaged relationship through obsequious and overly reverential grovelling acts, which are then handsomely rewarded”, he wrote.

“Today, more than at any time before, countries need to negotiate”.

Most importantly, the most significant bilateral relationship for the U.K. remains that with the United States.

“Better trade relations between China and Britain are important for our relations”, Zhang said. A mature partnership requires both sides to respect their differences.

“Britain’s starting point on trade is pretty abysmal”.

Shi Zhiqin is dean of the department of worldwide relations at Tsinghua University and a resident scholar at the Carnegie-Tsinghua Center for Global Policy.