UK media reports indicate that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is poised to approve the proposed building near the Tower of London ahead of a planned visit to Beijing later this month.
Sarah Champion, one of nine Labour MPs who have reached out to Communities Secretary Steve Reed to oppose the new super embassy plans, brought up the matter in the House of Commons, labeling China as a “hostile state” that is “terrorizing” individuals in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
“Multiple government bodies and departments have expressed concerns about this mega embassy; our international allies have raised issues as well,” stated Champion, who chairs the Commons International Development Committee.
“Every security briefing I’ve received identifies China as a hostile state to the UK. I firmly believe that this mega embassy should not proceed. Internationally, China is terrorizing the people of Hong Kong, threatening democratic individuals in Taiwan, and intimidating some within the UK.
“I want my government to confront bullies, not to coddle them. We must implement rules and limits regarding China to curtail this behavior instead of rewarding them with the embassy they desire,” she added.
In response, Housing Minister Mathew Pennycook refrained from commenting on a “live case” but emphasized that national security would not be compromised.
“We need a cohesive stance on China that can’t be reduced to a single term. We recognize that China poses numerous threats to UK national security, and we challenge these assertively,” he told Parliament.
“China also offers opportunities to the UK as the world’s second-largest economy and the UK’s third-largest trading partner. Therefore, we will continue to pursue a consistent and practical approach to economic engagement while safeguarding our national security,” he stated.
The parliamentary discussion on Tuesday coincided with a report in ‘The Daily Telegraph’ claiming to expose detailed plans for an underground complex beneath the diplomatic site that have been “redacted in all publicly accessible versions.”
The drawings illustrate that a concealed chamber will be adjacent to fibre-optic cables transmitting financial data to the City of London, as well as email and messaging traffic for millions of internet users, as reported by the newspaper.
“The unredacted plans uncover a hidden room running directly next to the fibre-optic cables essential to the City and Canary Wharf. ‘Telegraph’ readers do not need me to outline the evident threats posed, nor China’s deceit – so why does the Labour government,” questioned Alicia Kearns, the UK’s shadow national security minister.
The Opposition Conservative Party MP remarked to the newspaper that approving such an embassy would provide China “a launchpad for economic warfare at the heart of our critical national infrastructure’s central nervous system.”
A decision regarding Beijing’s proposals for the extensive development at the Royal Mint Court site in London has faced repeated delays over security concerns.
China purchased the 20,000 square metres of land at this historic site in 2018 for £225 million and submitted plans to the Tower Hamlets Council to transform the site into a much larger London embassy compared to its current location at Portland Place, near Baker Street.
After those plans were rejected amidst local protests, the government had “called in” the proposals for review – a procedure designated for planning applications involving national significance issues.
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It has recently come to light that MI5 and MI6 security services did not lodge any formal objections to the plans, and Downing Street believes consolidating China’s diplomatic missions onto a single site would, in fact, provide certain security benefits.
Starmer is therefore anticipated to approve the mega embassy next week, ahead of the first trip to Beijing by a British prime minister in eight years.
China has previously dismissed all espionage allegations, with an embassy spokesperson asserting that “anti-China elements are always eager to slander and attack” the country.
