In a move that has sparked widespread criticism, the British government has approved plans for a controversial Chinese “super-embassy” in London, despite major security fears and warnings from the country’s allies. The decision, announced on Tuesday, has been met with condemnation from across the political spectrum, with fears that the development could pose a significant risk to the UK’s national security.
The proposed embassy, to be located at the Royal Mint Court site near the Tower of London, is reported to include 208 secret rooms and a hidden chamber, raising concerns that it could be used for the detention of dissidents who have fled the Chinese state. There are also worries that the secret rooms, located in the site’s basement, could be in close proximity to crucial data cables that are essential for financial sector communications between the City of London and Canary Wharf.
Local government secretary Steve Reed has given the plans the green light, despite calls from MPs and campaigners for the government to block the development. The decision has been described as a “dangerous concession” by Labour peer and top barrister Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws, who argued that the UK must take a “principled stand” while British parliamentarians remain “unjustly sanctioned” and British citizen Jimmy Lai remains imprisoned on political charges.
The approval of the Chinese embassy has also been criticized by the Liberal Democrats, who have described it as Labour’s “biggest mistake yet,” and by shadow security minister Alicia Kearns, who expects the decision to go to judicial review. Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan-Smith has also condemned the government’s decision, stating that it “ignores the appalling brutality of the Chinese Communist Party.”
The government has defended the decision, arguing that consolidating China’s diplomatic presence from seven buildings to one could have security benefits. However, the move has been widely condemned as a concerning concession to Beijing, with fears that it could jeopardize the UK’s national security and its relationship with its international allies.
