Interpretation of the UK’s postponement of the Sino-French cooperation in the construction of British nuclear power plants

Wang Zhimin

China’s “breakthrough” nuclear power project in the UK encounters obstacles

The UK has failed to provide a public explanation for its delay in the construction of the CNNC Hinkley Point nuclear power plant project. On Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May’s official spokesperson announced that the new government will review the projectDiscuss. The statement came after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying expressed hope that a decision would be made as soon as possible to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs treats the decision made by the British government calmly, but at the same time it does not understand it. London will only make a decision on whether to start construction in the autumn. China announced this and hopes that it will decide as soon as possible to ensure the smooth progress of the project. London officials did not respond to this, but announced their interest in strengthening relations with China.

China stated that it cannot understand London’s position. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the project agreement was reached by China, Britain and France. The basis is mutual benefit and win-win results. France and the UK also fully support the project. As early as3The European Commission has verified and approved it in March.7month28Day, EDF Group (EDF) The board of directors also approved the nuclear power plant construction plan. The general manager of the company is authorized to sign various necessary contracts and agreements with Chinese and British partners. But hours before the signing, British Business Secretary Greg Clark (Greg Clark) said that the government should first "carefully study the support and opposition opinions." As a result, the government is nearly20The final decision on the construction of the country’s first nuclear power plant in years has been postponed until the autumn.

Beijing also has concerns about other aspects of London's move. For example, the British Prime Minister personally intervenes in whether a decision is made. Reuters also reported this, citing information from channels within the British government. In this context, other facts also deserve attention. Previously, Vince Cable, the Minister of State in charge of commercial affairs, announced that the new Prime Minister Theresa May had expressed distrust in Prime Minister Cameron's decision to give the green light to CNNC's investment when she took office as Home Affairs Minister.

As we all know, Cameron called the China Nuclear Power Plant Project Agreement a "historic" document. This agreement was signed last year10Witnessed the signing during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the UK in January.

British powerful sectors also support Theresa May’s government’s sensational decision. The Sunday Telegraph quotes the former head of the National Counter-Terrorism Security ServiceChris Phillipswrote, "It is a crazy move to hand over some of the country's most important infrastructure to the Chinese." "They've been tracking us for years, and they have an entire army of hackers trying to take control of our critical infrastructure every day." The retired former spy also believes the Chinese could cut off power to the British after gaining access to the plant.

Xinhua News Agency responded fiercely to this. The agency pointed out in its English commentary that China will not tolerate "malicious accusations" against Chinese investment in the UK. Xinhua News Agency believes that the UK may be trying to erect a w88 protectionist wall against Chinese investment.

In an interview with Sputnik News, Mikhail Beryaev, an expert at the Fund Market and Management Institute, did not rule out that one of the reasons for London’s negative decision was Western countries’ traditional concerns about China’s investment expansion.

He said: "After Brexit, the UK should rely more on its own strength in ensuring power security. However, China is still seen as a source of investment. From a financing perspective, this is a common thread of interest. At the same time, the British are investing in foreign capital. They are also paying special attention to their economic autonomy and independence, especially in some areas of strategic and military significance. They understand that China’s continued investment in various countries and areas has negative consequences for sovereignty.”

Wang Zhimin, Director of the Institute of Globalization and Chinese Modernization, w88 casinoBelieves that London's decision to postpone the Hinkley Point nuclear power plant project has political overtones.

He said: “The decision behind the British government’s decision is mainly political. Due to the change of government after the Brexit referendum, the domestic and foreign policies of the new British government are still unclear. It turns out that the Cameron government supported this project, but it is reported that many people in the new government do not support this project. From the British perspective, first of all, nuclear energy development has always been controversial in Europe, especially after the leak at Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant, Germany, Austria and other European countries have shut down nuclear power plants. There are currently two major nuclear power plants built at Hinkley Point in the UK, namely Hinkley PointAand HinkleyBNuclear power plant.2015Year10month21On August 15, China General Nuclear Power Group and EDF officially signed an investment agreement for a new nuclear power project in the UK to jointly invest in the construction of Hinkley Point in the UKCNuclear power project. In fact, this has triggered protests from many environmentalists in the UK.

Second, although the safety performance of China’s independent third-generation nuclear power technology ‘Hualong One’ is very high, the investment cost of the project is very high. Some analysts say that after the completion of this nuclear power plant, the price of electricity may be three times the original price, which is not very economical. Moreover, the British government also needs to provide subsidies, with a subsidy budget of up to300Billion pounds. Third, if the project is canceled, it will cause certain employment losses in the UK. Because according to the original plan, the project could meet the needs of the UK7% of electricity, which is good for the UK economy because of HinkleyABThe project nuclear power plant has basically stopped generating electricity. Stopping the project would also be a drag on the British economy. British labor groups are very optimistic about this project because it will bring great benefits to the UK2.5Ten thousand employment opportunities. In addition, an important reason why the British economy is doing better among developed European countries is its cooperation with China. ”

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