Ambassador: Britain welcomes investment from China

The British government is "very open" to foreign investment and welcomes investment from China, Sebastian Wood, the British ambassador to the country, said during a lecture he delivered to students at a university in Beijing on Monday.

"Our politicians are happy for companies to come to invest in all sectors of the British economy," he said.

He said Chinese companies that provide good equipment and conduct research with their British counterparts, such as Huawei, will help make his country a stronger competitor in the telecommunications industry.

"We welcome China's investment," he added.

Wood made the remarks when he was asked by students at Beihang Univeristy about the difficulties that Chinese telecom companies such as Huawei and ZTE are faced with in the United States and about British attitudes toward foreign investment.

Ren Zhengfei, Huawei chief executive, met British Prime Minister David Cameron in mid-September and announced the company plans to invest 1.3 billion British pounds ($2 billion) to expand its operation in Britain in the next five years, a decision that is expected to create up to 700 new jobs, according to Xinhua News Agency.

Wood said the UK will be practical and open-minded in response to possible concerns and issues.