by Xinhua writer Liu Chang
BEIJING, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Finally, London has made a welcoming move by giving the go-ahead order to a key nuclear power plant program after it was suspended over some fictitious "national security" concerns about Chinese investment.
The British government said on Thursday that it has approved the Hinkley Point nuclear power station, a 23. 8-billion-U.S.-dollar joint venture by Chinese and French investors. It will be Britain's first nuclear power facility in two decades.
The project is widely considered a significant program for both China and Britain, especially at a time when both sides have vowed to stay committed to promoting and reaping from the "Golden Era" of their bilateral relations.
During the plant's planned 10-year construction period, it will create 25,000 new job opportunities, according to EDF, the project's French contractor. Once up and running, it will substantially upgrade Britain's energy supplies and provide a vital solution to the country's electricity needs.
But let us not forget that the program, despite its various benefits for all parties, was once on the brink of being killed by groundless worries that China's investment would be a threat to Britain's national security.
Had the program gone under, all sides were to lose dearly, while China-Britain relations could have been tossed into uncertainty.
In order to reassure Beijing of its sustained willingness to maintain the two countries' bilateral ties on the right track, British Prime Minister Theresa May has earlier dispatched a special envoy along with a letter to the top Chinese leadership to express her hope of strengthening cooperation with China on trade and business, along with other global issues.
While attending the Group of 20 Summit in the Chinese city of Hangzhou earlier this month, the British leader reiterated her willingness to strengthen partnerships with China.
However, in spite of the approval, China-phobia sentiments continue to hover and could possibly introduce more troubles as construction of the project gets underway.
It is reported that while announcing the go-ahead, Theresa May has also promised "significant new safeguards" to make sure that investment from China does not threaten national security.
Of course, the British leader's misgivings make little sense. She may be saying this to appease domestic objections to the program, yet her remarks reflect a fact that some Westerners still harbor strong misunderstandings of China and its investors, and the mutual trust between China and Britain needs to be further enhanced.
Now that the decision has been made, it is expected that new problems will emerge in the future if we consider the complexities of the program. A spirit of sincere cooperation and partnership is much needed.
Therefore, let us hope that London quits its China-phobia and works with Beijing to ensure the project's smooth development.
