China could become a key investor in HS2, following talks between prime minister David Cameron and Chinese premier Li Keqiang.

It is not currently known how much of the £50 billion project will be funded by Chinese investments, but the additional support will help reduce the costs of the UK's government.

Mr Li said: "The two sides have agreed to push for breakthroughs and progress in the co-operation between our enterprises on nuclear power and high-speed rail."

Mr Cameron said he was interested in the country's rail developments during a three-day visit. China has a number of high-speed rail lines and, in the last five years, has built the world's largest network of these services.

However, despite their efficiency, there have been some concerns over the safety of China's rail developments. For example, in 2011 40 people were killed in a crash on one of the high speed lines.

In recent months, there has been a vast improvement in UK-China relations, with various instances of Chinese backing, such as the £800 million funding for Manchester Airport City by the Beijing Construction Engineering Group.