He Labor government of the United Kingdom has given green light this Tuesday to the project China to open in London what will be the largest embassy in Europe. The Minister of Housing and Communities, Steve Reedhas confirmed the decision after ruling out that the opening of the new diplomatic headquarters represents a risk to national securityas well as for Chinese citizens exiled in the United Kingdom. The approval of the project, stalled for years by the reservations of the British authorities and intelligence services, represents a goodwill gesture of the prime minister, Keir Starmerdid Beijing at a time of maximum tension with the United States.
The transfer of the Chinese embassy to Royal Mint Courta building with a surface area of about 20,000 square meters Located a few meters from the Tower of London, it had generated suspicions since China acquired the facilities in 2018 for 225 million pounds sterling (about 258 million euros). One of the main concerns is its proximity to the fiber optic cables that connect the City of London with the second financial district of the city, Canary Wharfand through which large volumes of sensitive information pass every day.
The second concern is the calls “secret rooms” located in the basement of the building, which were not in the original planning. According to dissident groups, including activists of Hong Kong or exiles from the uyghur communitythese rooms could be used for lock up and interrogate Chinese citizens residents in the United Kingdom.
intelligence services
The Labor Government has finally decided to give the go-ahead to the embassy after the intelligence services have concluded that the risk to national security is reduced. “The collective work carried out by intelligence agencies and departments [gubernamentales] of the United Kingdom to formulate a package of national security mitigation measures for the site has, in our opinion, been expert, professional and proportionate”the directors of the MI5 and of GCHQ. The heads of the intelligence services have warned, however, that “the elimination of any potential risk” is unrealistic.
In a speech in Parliament this Tuesday, the Secretary of State for Security, And Jarvishighlighted that the new embassy will allow the British authorities monitor more easily its activities, since until now China’s diplomatic services in London were spread across up to seven buildings. An argument that has also been used by a Downing Street spokesperson, who has insisted that the doubts about the secret use of the facilities have been resolved. “The Government has seen the plans and we are satisfied that any risk is being managed appropriately,” he said.
Criticisms of the project
Still, the decision has drawn criticism from the main opposition parties. The Interior Spokesman Conservative PartyChris Philp, has accused the Government of carrying out a “shameless surrender” and has highlighted the lukewarmness with which Starmer has approached cases of alleged Chinese espionage in the United Kingdom. “Despite everything China has done in our territory, it has been rewarded with exactly what it wanted: a super embassy that will serve as base for espionagenot only in the United Kingdom, but probably throughout Europe as well,” he said. Liberal Democratic Party and the populists of Reform UK They have also shown their rejection of the project.
The Government insists that the decision is firm and that it could only be stopped through a judicial actiona possibility that is on the table. A group of residents in the area near the new embassy is preparing a judicial appeal, since it considers that the Executive’s decision is “default” and responds to political reasons.
Since coming to power in July 2024, Starmer has tried to strengthen the business relationships with major powers, including China, to attract investment and accelerate economic growth in the UK. Critics consider that the date of approval of the project is no coincidence, since the prime minister is preparing a trip to Beijing in the coming weeks to strengthen bilateral relations at a time of maximum uncertainty on the global stage. The arrival of Donald Trump to the White House has fractured relations between London and Washington and the creation of new alliances in diplomatic and commercial matters is more urgent than ever.
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