A launching ceremony of the center is held in London on Wednesday. [Photo: sasac.gov.cn]

A nuclear research center, led by both China and UK, was launched in London on Wednesday with a total investment of 50 million pounds (62 million U.S. dollars).

The UK National Nuclear Laboratory and the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation jointly funded the center for a period of five years.

"It is the first nuclear energy research platform supported by a Western government that is willing to cooperate with us. We will cooperate in advanced fuels and manufacturing, reactor decommissioning, radioactive waste treatment and nuclear regulations," said Xie Jiajie, vice president of China National Nuclear Power.

The UK-China Nuclear Joint Research and Innovation Center started in 2015 and is based in Manchester.

The cooperation is another important step marking China-UK cooperation in the nuclear power industry, after the Hinckley C nuclear power project signed in September.

Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister Theresa May has welcomed more Chinese investments to the country during a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier Ma Kai in London on Wednesday.

Both the Prime Minister and Ma agreed that China-UK ties are now in a "Golden Era."

Ma Kai traveled to UK to co-chair the eighth China-Britain Economic and Financial Dialogue with British Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond.

Read more:

China eyes new British nuclear power plant approval in five years after Hinkley

The Chinese company which takes one third of stakes in the French-led Hinkley Point C project in Britain expects a new China-led nuclear power plant to get approval from the British government in five years.

In an interview with Xinhua on Wednesday, board chairman of China General Nuclear Power Corporation (CGN) He Yu said that with Thursday's signing of the final agreement of Hinkley Point C project, his company will start preparation for the nuclear power plant at Bradwell in Essex, where the China-developed third-generation HPR1000 nuclear reactor is expected to be installed. Full story