UK would welcome Chinese HS2 investment, says PM

Britain would welcome Chinese investment in High Speed 2, David Cameron has said.

Speaking at Jiao Tong university in Shanghai, the prime minister told students he had spoken to premier Li Keqiang and prime minister Xi Jinping, promising “very open competition” over infrastructure investment.

Cameron also noted issues in infrastructure planning for a small country like the UK.

According to The Guardian, Cameron said: “The problem in a small country like the UK is that infrastructure decisions are very controversial because we are a small and relatively crowded island so the use of space for infrastructure is always controversial, whether we are trying to build airports, whether we are trying to build railway lines or whether we are trying to build new roads.”

“My government has taken a very clear view that the countries that will succeed in the future are the countries with the most modern infrastructure.”

The news follows comments yesterday from premier Li Keqiang that China could play a major role in HS2.

Speaking at the Great Hall of the People, Li said: “The two sides have agreed to push for breakthroughs and progress in the co-operation between our enterprises on nuclear power and high speed rail.”

Last week, Cameron highlighted Manchester airport and Hinkley Point nuclear power station as examples of how Chinese investment can be beneficial.

Speaking at a Chinese exhibition at the V&A, Cameron said: “It seems to be an absolute high-speed revolution taking place [in China], and I’m looking forward to travelling on a high-speed train when I’m in China.”