On Monday, the press said the British government is seeking a way to prevent China’s CGN group from participating in new nuclear power plant projects.
The move could further complicate diplomatic relations between Britain and China, which have already been undermined by issues such as the former British colony of Hong Kong or the treatment of the Uighur minority in Xinjiang.
The Palestinian News Agency, quoting a government source who confirmed the information revealed by the Financial Times, made it clear that members of the government are seeking to prevent the participation of the CGN in the British nuclear sector.
This means excluding the Chinese group from the Sizewell project, where it is involved as a minority partner for EDF, and from Bradwell (Southeast), which it operates alone and which must be equipped with its own technology.
On the contrary, it will not affect the more advanced Hinkley Point project, operated by EDF and CGN, the only nuclear power plant under construction in the country that should be operational within a few years.
In response to a question by AFP, a UK Energy Department spokesman confined himself to noting that all nuclear projects are “subject to strict and independent regulations” to respect “national security requirements”.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said he learned about the matter through press articles, but noted that “China and the UK are important trading and investment partners.”
“The UK must offer Chinese companies an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment,” he said.
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