UK officials have courted Chinese investors in an attempt to secure hundreds of millions of pounds of funding towards building a ￡4.1bn “super-sewer” under London, in talks that will test overseas appetite to invest in critical British infrastructure.

People close to the matter said there had been great interest from potential investors, including from the?Chinese,?but?discussions were at an early stage.

China Investment Corporation, China’s sovereign wealth fund, already owns a 9 per cent stake in Thames Water, which is overseeing the super-sewer project David Cameron, prime minister, told Time magazine this week: “I said to the Chinese Investment Corporation the other day: ‘I’m not embarrassed that you own 10 per cent of our biggest water company or a big chunk of Heathrow airport. I’m proud. I think it’s absolutely great. We want to be the destination for Chinese investment – tell the other Chinese investors: Come to London; spend your money.’?”