Hundreds have turned up to protest against China’s plans to build a massive new embassy in a historic part of London, sparking a diplomatic battle that threatens to boil over. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly set to green-light the highly controversial project despite widespread security concerns.
The new embassy will be converted from the old Royal Mint in Tower Hamlets, situated near major financial centres and critical communication cables. Around 500 people gathered at the Royal Mint Court today to voice their opposition, but there are fears that Chinese plainclothes security guards may have infiltrated the protest.
“The Chinese have plainclothes security guards operating in this area,” said Luke de Pulford of the International Parliamentary Alliance on China. “The police are being very helpful in trying to stop that. A message to our press, please have your credentials ready.”
Unredacted plans for the new building, published by The Telegraph, have only raised further questions. It includes a concealed chamber running along the outer wall of a room, situated close to fibre optic cables transmitting data for millions of people.
Security experts have warned that the embassy’s proximity to these critical communication cables poses a significant risk, as China could easily intercept the wires through “hot tapping.” MI5 was reportedly worried about this vulnerability last year, but neither they nor MI6 have formally objected to the plans.
The decision on whether to approve the 22,000-square-metre embassy, which would be China’s largest in Europe, was previously delayed by former and current Housing Secretaries. However, reports suggest Starmer will now give the green light before his upcoming trip to Beijing.
Riot police are present at the protest site as Londoners gather to express their outrage at the plans. The diplomatic battle over China’s “super embassy” looks set to intensify in the coming weeks.