China's desire for the British government to quickly approve the Hinkley Point nuclear power project has attracted widespread attention from the local media as well as industry experts.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Xiaoming has warned that bilateral ties stand at a "crucial historical juncture" over the deferral of the project, which will cost an estimated 18 billion pounds ($23.4 billion; 20.9 billion euros).

"I hope the UK will keep its door open to China and that the British government will continue to support Hinkley Point - and come to a decision as soon as possible so that the project can proceed smoothly," Liu wrote in a commentary in the Financial Times on Aug 8.

In response, the British government reasserted its intention to maintain close ties with China.

"As we've already made clear, this decision is about a huge infrastructure project and it's right that the new government carefully considers it," the government said in a statement on Aug 9.

"We cooperate with China on a broad range of areas, from the global economy to international issues, and we will continue to seek a strong relationship with China."

The plant was approved in July by the board of French energy company EDF, the main investor in the project, after a number of delays. If it goes ahead, China General Nuclear Power Corp is set to invest 33 percent.

Keith Burnett, vice-chancellor of Sheffield University, which is involved with the Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Center, says it is "not the right way to do diplomacy" to "defer, wobble, delay and review indefinitely".

Liu's article also attracted widespread attention from the British media.

Simon Jack, business editor for the BBC, wrote in a commentary that if the British government backed out of the Hinkely deal, it "will clearly take the shine off the 'golden era' of collaboration between the two countries".

Cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com