Should we be letting China invest in Britain?

MAIL City Editor Alex Brummer’s criticism of Chancellor George osborne’s overtures to China ignored how massive the Chinese market is. Business cycles aside, British companies need to look for sales there, and I commend Mr osborne for his long-term vision and short-term pragmatism. He’s doing business while the Pm takes the political heat.

ALISDAIR FINDLAY, Cheltenham, Glos.

IT MUST be possible to find a more suitable country to kowtow to than China. The Chinese are the very last people we should allow to be involved in British nuclear power — or anything else. It’s worrying enough to discover that prime London properties are being sold to wealthy Russians. If things continue as they are, can anyone imagine what this once great country will be like in less than 20 years? What Messrs Cameron Osborne should remember is that ‘if you sup with the devil, you need a very long spoon’ but most of all Mr Osborne, don’t forget: ‘He who pays the piper calls the tune.’

PATRICIA MILLS, Heanor, Derbys.

WHY is the proposed nuclear power station at Hinkley point to be designed and built by the French and financed by the Chinese at a cost of £25 billion? Surely we have the necessary expertise in this country. A television documentary about the new Astute class of nuclear submarines said their power plant — designed and built by British engineers — produced enough power to supply Southampton. Why can’t the same technology be used for a landbased power station?

BRIAN STARKEY, Huntingdon, Cambs.

IT MAKES sense that the Chancellor has come up with the £2 billion infrastructure guarantee from the government, that brings the building of a much needed new nuclear power station for EDF at Hinkley Point closer to becoming a certainty, with the help of Chinese investment. Keeping Britain’s lights on and factories running is a better reason for running up debt than spending vastly more in borrowed funds on cutting the time of railway trips between London and Birmingham by mere minutes by building the largely unwanted HS2.

MIKE PRIESLEY, Bradford.