China’s mega London embassy to go ahead after High Court blocks challenge
Plans for a new Chinese super embassy in central London will go ahead after the High Court blocked a challenge to the controversial site.
The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association (RMCRA) had initiated legal action against the government’s housing department and Tower Hamlets council over concerns the embassy could enforce “draconian” Chinese laws in the UK.
The group also warned the presence of the embassy – set to be built near the Tower of London – could lead to terroist attacks or represss protests. The association represents families and businesses in near different 100 properties.
Two judges have dismissed the challenge following a hearing at the High Court earlier this month. They rejected the claims that the government had not followed planning regulations and that it had not identified and assessed human rights.
The pair said in a judgment on Friday there was “no doubt” that the government took into account that it was the Chinese government applying for planning permission.
The RMCA have said they will seek to appeal their decision, adding “if they think this is the end of the road, they’re going to discover that they are wrong. We fight on.”
Embassy opponents sound alarm
A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said it acknowledges the judgment and would not be commenting further as it “may still be subject to litigation”.
Shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel warned “Britain’s national security is set to be compromised by a new Chinese super embassy spy hub”.
The Conservative MP said: “Thanks to this unserious Labour Government, Britain’s national security is set to be compromised by a new Chinese super embassy spy hub operating in the heart of our capital.
“The court’s decision is a clear test for Andy Burnham. Will he put our country’s interests first, stand up to Beijing, protect our national security and do the right thing by ditching this dreadful plan – a legacy of the failed (Sir Keir) Starmer years?”
Meanwhile Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said: “If [Beining] expect us to roll over and allow our own capital to become a CCP power centre, they have completely misjudged the strength of opposition to this mega-embassy.”
Concerns across the aisle over China super embassy
The approval of the embassy by ministers earlier this year met fierce opposition from Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. The White House also expressed its concerns over the plans.
Protesters objected to the threats posed by more Chinese diplomats and spies to Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers and Chinese dissidents who have gained asylum in the UK.
The embassy’s significant location at the Royal Mint Court site has come under intense scrutiny from former security officials over nearby fibre cables that connect the City to Canary Wharf.
Tory figures Alicia Kearns and Tom Tugendhat have been two of the most vocal opponents to the new ‘mega’ embassy, after the collapse of a Chinese spy case last year involving Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry. Both deny all allegations of spying for China.
Kearns and Tugendhat said in a letter last year that blocking the embassy plans was an “opportunity to do what’s necessary to protect this country”.