The Chinese owners of one of Britain’s smartest golf clubs have defended plans to increase membership fees.
Ni Songhua, the London-based head of Reignwood Investments, which owns the Wentworth Club in Surrey, said that protesters were damaging Britain’s reputation amongst investors.
“Confrontation is not good. This is a private club and we should discuss matters privately,” he said.
He added that it was “all a bit off-track” that members were “talking to journalists and telling them we are socially cleansing the club and making way for Chinese Communist party members.
“These sorts of attacks mean that foreign companies will ask the second question before they come in. Is this the right place to carry out our business?” Mr Ni said in an interview with the Financial Times, his first since the row erupted.
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Under plans announced last October members would be charged a one-off fee of £100,000 from next year. New members would have to pay £125,000. The current joining fee is £15,000. The annual subscription would double to £16,000, and membership would be cut from about 4,000 to 888 invitation- only places.