Original news was published on 19 June, 2014
But cooperation may prove challenging;
Premier Li Keqiang this week began his first state visit to Britain where he will discuss trade with his counterpart, Prime Minister David Cameron.
China could allow Britain to take part in the construction of the 123-kilometer Bohai Strait Tunnel in exchange for a role in its high-speed railway and nuclear power projects, a senior state firm engineer told the South China Morning Post.
With an estimated cost of US$41.7 billion, the 123-kilometer tunnel would connect Dalian in Liaoning and Yantai in Shandong province.
“Britain has offered the technology and experience that they acquired in the construction under the English Channel,” Wang Mengshu, deputy chief engineer with China Railway Tunnel Group, said. “China has asked them to come up with a plan with technical details.”
In exchange, China wants to participate in Britain’s construction of high-speed railway lines and new nuclear reactors. But talks could become mired in contention.
“Britain has favored burying rail lines underground to save land, while China builds them on high bridges. We can help if they can change their mentality,” Wang said.
He also said Britain is too small for high-speed rail. “They don’t have much land for long-haul high-speed rail projects with speeds of 350 kilometers per hour or higher,” he said. “How sincerely do they want the high-speed rail from China? We have doubts.”
Entering UK’s nuclear industry could prove equally difficult or even more so. A researcher with the China National Nuclear Corporation said negotiations over China’s participation in British nuclear plant construction had encountered a lack of trust. China had sought a French partner to ease its access to the British nuclear market, but negotiations had not gone smoothly, he said.
“China is a latecomer in the game and our homegrown technology only looks good on paper,” the CNNC researcher who chose to remain anonymous said. “Why would the UK buy a new third-generation reactor from China if it has not even been used at home?”
*NEWS SOURCE
