Those threatening Chinese and their spies....

It isn't just the power station, Cameron was eager to sell HS2 to them originally (they declined the offer) and Osborne has also been welcoming Chinese banks to London to operate in an unregulated way here.

Not sure if you're missing the point? I wasn't suggesting that the main issue is a security threat because of their investment in (and control of) our nuclear power - although a reasonable person might wonder about that. I was suggesting that it's bizarre that at the same time as Cameron and Osborne are on a glorious mission to sell our assets to China and treat them as best buddies, they at the same time trust them so little that they cannot use electronic devices made there.

Also, we keep being told that 'Chinese nuclear expertise' will play a part in the new power station, so presumably that will include Chinese staff onsite and Chinese plans and equipment? Made in China?

I am not sure we should be rushing in to the grand scheme to sell the UK to China and introduce Chinese-style labour conditions here (another clear Tory plan) without at least some consideration.

Well, if it's rubbish, it was the Telegraph article that was rubbish, as I was quoting it.

The fear that China, by buying into our nuclear industry, might in the future have the potential to do us harm, does not seem completely unreasonable to me. I can easily imagine that they will seek to build on this to gain further access to key utilities here. He who pays the piper calls the tune and I don't see why this should be any different - statements can be made now, plans laid down and contract terms established, but who knows how it will be run and administered in 10, 20 and 30 years time?

Given the wholly unaccountable, undemocratic and corrupt nature of the current Chinese government, it is also reasonable to be deeply sceptical about their ability to behave honourably towards us, or to have good motives. I'm not saying that out of the box they will seek to abuse this relationship, but it doesn't inspire confidence. Neither does the zeal with which our Tory leaders are apparently desperate to give away key bits of UK interest to them, all the time lost in admiration for their slave labour-based economy.

So... allow me to enlighten you about this thing called money. In the business world, when someone gives you money, they expect something in return. This exchange of money for things is usually written in a contract. When you break a contract, bad things happen.

It's in China's interest to fulfil the contract, otherwise their investment goes down the toilet and they lose money. The vast majority of the investment is CapEx, so it won't be China's responsibility to operate the plant anyway. They're financing the construction. EDF in the UK are running the plant and are contracted to meet the standards laid out by the UK regulators, and EDF have to make good on their commitments, or they end up in court and all over the press.

The Chinese labour/human rights issue isn't really relevant here. The Chinese are one of the most cash-rich banks in town and the government has given the green light for these investors to add their backing to EDF's plan. This is pretty simple economics - sure the Chinese will make a profit from this, but that's capitalism. Without this investment, we wouldn't be building this plant - nor would we have the jobs it'll create, or the energy security we desperately need.

He's not selling HS2 to the Chinese and even if he did. So what?

Are you promoting protectionist policies?

Do you want a trade war? Do you not want British companies to trade in China?

You're just taking an extremely cynical and exploitative position, that it doesn't matter how China makes its money, what sort of abusive and disgraceful government it has, how degraded its own population - so long as they have money and can invest it here.

I find it utterly intriguing and incredibly revealing how Tories are lining up to praise the 'communist' government of China because they now have money. Lost in admiration for their banned trade unions, abolished human rights, forced student labour, non-existent social care and rampant pollution, the Tory Right is eager to have Britain join them.

You're just taking an extremely cynical and exploitative position, that it doesn't matter how China makes its money, what sort of abusive and disgraceful government it has, how degraded its own population - so long as they have money and can invest it here.

I find it utterly intriguing and incredibly revealing how Tories are lining up to praise the 'communist' government of China because they now have money. Lost in admiration for their banned trade unions, abolished human rights, forced student labour, non-existent social care and rampant pollution, the Tory Right is eager to have Britain join them.

He tried to interest them in HS2 previously and they turned it down.

The protectionism point is nonsense - where is the level playing field? Should we really be trying to out-compete a country with zero labour protection, incredibly low wages and massive forced labour, or allowing the profits that accrue from that to gain control of our key strategic industries?

They're growing we'll though because of it and improving the lives of it's citizens in the process.

What's student labour?

Perhaps we should re-nationalise everything and reinstate the National Electricity Board? They did a great job keeping the lights on.

We're out of other options. All the "ethical" countries are as bankrupt as we are.

Foxconn uses forced student interns, 'supplied' by colleges as conscripts.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/20/forced-labout-china-economic-miracle

Well you are advocating protectionist policies by saying we shouldn't do business with them.

China out competes only many levels. Labour costs is one of them. Productivity is another. But because of them they've developed the country immensely. Or would you just prefer to keep non whites in poverty?

Actually the nationalised electricity setup in the UK, setting aside the issue of miner's strikes, was significantly better at keeping the lights on - there have been many more non-strike related power cuts under privatisation than before.

However, the key issues are that power was cheaper in real terms to the end consumer then (arguably it was produced from cheap coal, admittedly) and most importantly that there was proper long-term national and strategic forward planning over multiple decades. The privatised mess left behind by the Thatcher and Major governments is incapable of generating such plans and the results will soon be with us, with rota cuts predicted as soon as this winter.

He tried to interest them in HS2 previously and they turned it down.

I would prefer that non-whites, like whites, are given the democracy and accountable government that so many of them want so desperately and are denied. I would also prefer that right wing governments from privileged countries like Britain actually practise what they preach and advocate that democracy for them, rather than turning a massive blind eye to all the abuse in the interests of getting some cash.

All the evidence of history is that we should side with the oppressed people of China, not with their brutal, corrupt oligarchic and kleptocratic rulers. When (inevitably) revolution comes again to China, probably in the not to distant future, we can only hope that the people who replace them achieve more democracy and that (hopefully) they don't hate us too much for siding with their hated overlords.

For further information, see World, Arab - dictatorships and the way the west supported them.

Western style democracies work in the west. There's huge swathes of the world that aren't ready for a democratic system yet.

A completely racist position, by the way. Never mind though, its much loved by dictators the world over as an excuse, so you're in good company.

I find it utterly intriguing and incredibly revealing how Tories are lining up to praise the 'communist' government of China because they now have money. Lost in admiration for their banned trade unions, abolished human rights, forced student labour, non-existent social care and rampant pollution, the Tory Right is eager to have Britain join them.

A completely racist position, by the way. Never mind though, its much loved by dictators the world over as an excuse, so you're in good company.

I would prefer that non-whites, like whites, are given the democracy and accountable government that so many of them want so desperately and are denied. I would also prefer that right wing governments from privileged countries like Britain actually practise what they preach and advocate that democracy for them, rather than turning a massive blind eye to all the abuse in the interests of getting some cash.

Well, theoretically at least, the US is a democracy, a fellow member of NATO and a long-time close ally. Perhaps their monitoring of us is like having a friend being over-curious and going through one's bag in the pub when one is visiting the toilet. At least, that's a friendly interpretation.

The government of China, by contrast, has an utter contempt for democracy and is currently, far from liberalising, actually intensifying their vicious internal campaigns against people who dare to speak up against the corruption and mendacity of the ruling Communist Party.

Comically, China is currently trying to become a member of the UN Human Rights Council.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/22/china-challenged-human-rights-un

They continue to disappear people on an industrial scale who raise any of these issues within the country.