Chinese companies have recently been involved in critical transport and technology deals in the UK, including being shortlisted to run high-speed railway HS2, the unveiling of the new electric black cabs to be launched in London, and in making a play for Imagination Technologies, a UK technology company that was recently dropped as a supplier by Apple Inc.

Chinese investors are now diversifying from the UK real estate sector into other areas of investment. Chinese state energy group, CGN, has a 33% stake in Hinkley Point nuclear power station, and China’s sovereign wealth fund, CIC, earlier this year acquired London headquartered logistics and warehouse operator Logicor for US$14 billion.

A recent fall in the pound, strong country fundamentals, and a need of the UK authorities to foster trade relationships with countries outside the EU post-Brexit, make the UK ripe for foreign investment.

High Speed 2
A Chinese joint venture has been shortlisted along with two other bidders to operate phase one of HS2, a planned high-speed railway between London and Birmingham. This is the first time a Chinese entity has been shortlisted for a British rail project.

State-owned Guangshen Railway, a subsidiary of Guangzhou Railway, allied itself with Hong Kong MTR (UK), a subsidiary of Hong Kong’s MTR Corp, for its bid to operate the line under the joint venture MTR West Coast Partnership Ltd. The project is deemed controversial by some due to its high cost and the possibility of bulldozing homes to make way for the new rail line.

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Iconic Chinese black cabs
A Chinese company, London Electric Vehicle Company, has unveiled its new electric black cab, the TX eCity, to be launched in London. The new electric vehicles are in-line with the UK government’s recent announcement to ban the sale of all new petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040.

The TX combines British design and engineering as well as technical expertise from sister company Volvo. The TX is due to launch later this year following trial runs in October. LEVC has already announced an order for 225 TX eCity’s from a Rotterdam-based company.

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Canyon Bridge Capital Partners and Imagination Technologies
Canyon Bridge Capital Partners has expressed interest in acquiring UK tech company Imagination Technologies after it was dropped as a supplier by Apple.

Canyon Bridge is a private equity firm is based in Silicon Valley and is funded by Chinese authorities in Beijing. According to The Sunday Telegraph, Canyon Bridge held talks with Imagine about a potential bid for all or part of the business.

Imagination began to look for a buyer after Apple announced that it would no longer be using it as a supplier, and use its own in-house technology instead. Several companies are interested in Imagination after the technology company revealed it was still making profits.

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