Theresa May’s postponement in approving the Hinkley Point nuclear power station is a heavy blow to her predecessor’s attempts to cultivate China as a key investment and strategic partner.
The UK and China had proclaimed a “golden era” of commercial and diplomatic relations, and president Xi Jinping in October referred to the investment in Hinkley Point as a “flagship project” of bilateral co-operation.
Chinese officials have been clear that if Hinkley does not now go ahead, there would be little chance that the “golden era” would ever get off the ground. Failure of the deal would be damaging to Chinese ambitions that reach far beyond the project itself.