Theresa May in Hinkley Point talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping

Theresa May is to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping for talks following the delay to the Beijing-backed nuclear power station at Hinkley Point.

The Prime Minister is due to give her verdict on the £18 billion project later this month, with security implications and the high cost of the energy produced by the Somerset plant among the concerns raised by critics about the scheme.

Mrs May's face-to-face talks with President Xi come at the conclusion of the G20 summit in Hangzhou, where the Prime Minister has sought to win support for the UK as it prepares for life outside the European Union.

An artist's impression issued by EDF of plans for the new Hinkley Point C nuclear power station. Credit: PA

On Monday she will also meet Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull amid speculation the country could be one of the first in line to sign a trade deal with a post-Brexit UK.

She is also expected to have a brief discussion with Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, whose government has produced a series of demands aimed at protecting the country's firms operating in the UK from Brexit.

Mrs May has blamed her thorough approach for the delay in making a final decision on whether to give Hinkley Point C the go-ahead.

The Prime Minister said the delay was down to "the way I operate" because she wanted a fresh look at the evidence for the power plant.