Now the Chinese start to own the West?

[WhoseGeneration]

www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/utilities...

I'm surprised this hasn't already been mentioned. Or, perhaps, folks don't consider it of note?

[1point7bar]

So now ofwat could decide their profits.
They must be sick of T-bills.

[SmoothCriminal]

The Chinese already own the west.

[kieranjholland]

[Marf]

WhoseGeneration said:

Or, perhaps, folks don't consider it of note?

Probably this, because they've been investing in the west for years.

[davepoth]

Not just the Chinese - my local water company is owned by YTL, who are Malaysian.

[Kudos]

Who gives a st?

[Eric Mc]

Kudos said:

Who gives a st?

A very pertinent point, as if they eventually own the water system they could very well control such matters.

[turbobloke]

Maybe all our base banks are belong to them too, in due course.

Zero interest rates invoke Zero Wing remake.

[davepoth]

Without a national water grid as such, water is reasonably safe to sell off - they can't sell it to anyone else really, or put it on the back of a truck and take it away.

[groak]

I always thought it wasn't the best idea to sell most of London to foreign nationals. But then, I'm just a racist.

[1point7bar]

Share value can be diluted by the Board issuing more shares.
They leased us Hong Kong, what's wrong with lending them London for a bit?

[johnfm]

Water, electric, gas companies part owned or controlled by foreigners is a bit stupid.

Uk also has little or no LNG storage IIRC.

Things that needs security and investment are communications, water, gas and power.

They can own hotels and houses, but don't let them have infrastructure.

[Turn7]

johnfm said:

Water, electric, gas companies part owned or controlled by foreigners is a bit stupid.

Uk also has little or no LNG storage IIRC.

Things that needs security and investment are communications, water, gas and power.

They can own hotels and houses, but don't let them have infrastructure.

100% agree.

[Jimbeaux]

SmoothCriminal said:

The Chinese already own the west.

No, they do not. Educate yourself on how much total debt they hold as opposed to what you may think..

[WhoseGeneration]

Jimbeaux said:

No, they do not. Educate yourself on how much total debt they hold as opposed to what you may think..

Is that internal or external debt?
Anyhow you have to accept that they have foreign currency reserves that they might want to usefully exploit.
What better way than buying into Western utilities companies, such that when much of the West cannot afford "cheap Chinese tat", the West will be providing income from the essentials of life.
It's, for them, a long game and they have seen what happened to Japan.

[Blue Oval84]

Of course on the plus side, as it's a national utility they can't very well pick it up and cart it back to China.

If it get's too problematic in the future I bet the government could just re-nationalise and compensate them appropriately...

[WhoseGeneration]

Blue Oval84 said:

Indeed.