China's Director of National Energy Administration Nuer Bekri arrives outside 10 Carlton House Terrace in central London, where representatives from Britain, China, France and energy company EDF will sign an agreement to build and operate a new nuclear power station at Hinkley Point, Britain, September 29, 2016. [Photo by Peter Nicholls/Reuters]

Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, said in a brief statement:

"Signing the Contract for Difference for Hinkley Point C is a crucial moment in the UK’s first new nuclear power station for a generation and follows new measures put in place by Government to strengthen security and ownership.

"Britain needs to upgrade its supplies of energy, and we have always been clear that nuclear power stations like Hinkley play an important part in ensuring our future low-carbon energy security."

Liu Xiaioming, China's ambassador to the UK, said Hinkley Point is a flagship product for UK-China cooperation, and is the "golden fruit" that confirms the golden era of China-UK cooperation.

The UK's General Design Assessment, which determines if a new nuclear technology can be used in the UK, is known to be the world's most rigorous. Currently only France's European Pressurized Reactor design has GDA approval. The US' AP1000 technology is still pending GDA approval. France's EPR model is being used for Hinkley Point.

"Once Hualong One passes GDA, it will boost more countries' confidence and push forward Hualong One's global market development," He said.

The ambassador said: "We are hopeful that China’s own technology, Hualong One, will pass GDA. That will signify China's nuclear power has really gone global."

Bradwell's technology will be modeled on Hualong One technology deployed at Guangxi Fangchenggang Phase II power station.

CGN established a GDA project department in February 2015 to work on the regulatory process; technical preparation for the GDA assessment process was completed by this July.