China promises ‘patience’ as Theresa May stalls on joint power station at Hinkley Point

CHINA will "have patience" while Theresa May deliberates on whether to dump its plans to build a giant power station at Hinkley Point.

President Xi Jinping delivered the peace message during their first meeting yesterday in a bid to defuse a bitter row between London and Beijing.

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The new PM has stalled the £18bn project over security and cost fears.

The joint French-Chinese project could see the Asian giant and power firm EDF paid more than £100bn over 35 years, it emerged yesterday.

But during a "warm" 20 minute meeting after the G20 summit, Mr Xi also congratulated Britain for beating his country to more medals at the Olympics Mrs May made a peace offering to say the two countries were still in ";a golden era" in relations begun by her predecessor David Cameron.

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A No10 official said Mr Xi understood why Mrs May felt the need to take a fresh look at agreements made by the former PM.

Although Hinkley Point was not specifically mentioned he said "he recognised the new Government would need to take some time before reaching decisions on some agreements pushed by the last government", the source said.

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"President Xi said that they had the patience to wait for a resolution on those issues.

"He said that they wanted to look at how we could strengthen our trading and economic relationship and that China was open to a bilateral trade arrangement with the UK." It also emerged that

Mrs May accepted an invitation to visit China next year.

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Mrs May told a press conference at the end of the two-day summit: "A decision about Hinkley will be made later this month, but our relationship with China is about more than Hinkley.

"If you look at the investment that there has been from China in various other parts of the UK and other infrastructure in the UK, we have built a global strategic partnership with China.

"I've been clear we will be continuing that global strategic partnership with China. It is a golden era of relations between China and the UK."