Ian McLean Spokesperson for the Green Party

It's agreed then. It's really okay to sell our prime assets to the Chinese.

Nothing new here. We have already sold farms to international investors. But I think we are bothered by this one because it is sixteen farms. And clearly, the purchasers are not planning on coming to live here, as Shania Twain does at least some of the time.

What's more, we cannot buy farmland in China. Free trade does not mean our freedom to acquire their prime assets.

With the melamine scandal fresh in memory, we are rightly nervous about shonky business practices that could impact on our international reputation and clean and green brand.

Shares in other prime assets, such as energy companies, are also to be sold. Nobody believes that those shares and their profits won't eventually head offshore.

Remember the trains! Let's hope we don't have to buy our assets back again.