The most shocking thing about the news that the government is looking to remove China from Britain’s nuclear power programme is that it has taken so long. But it will not be a straight-forward process. It will likely provoke tantrums from Beijing, as well as grumbles from a nuclear lobby that will have to find somebody else to stump up the billions needed for their pet projects.
China General Nuclear should never have been allowed anywhere near such a critical piece of national infrastructure. The state-owned company has been accused by the US government of stealing technology for military use and placed on a national security blacklist which severely limits US companies from doing business with it. Washington has warned Britain against partnering with the company.
More recently CGN has shown a lack of transparency over technical issues at a major nuclear plant in Guangdong province, less than 100 miles from Hong Kong.
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