China to build ‘biggest embassy in Europe’ in UK. Why Londoners are saying no

The United Kingdom is facing a Chinese quandary in the shape of a new giant-sized embassy designed for the heart of London.

This proposed structure led to a clash between protesters and police on Saturday (February 8) when thousands gathered outside the historic former site of the Royal Mint, voicing concerns that redeveloping it into a large Chinese embassy would pose a serious security threat.

Chants of ‘fight for freedom’ and ‘mega embassy, mega no’ rang loud at the protests, which even saw the participation of UK shadow ministers and fellow Opposition Conservative Party parliamentarians.

But what exactly is this Chinese mega embassy that is at the heart of the protests? And why are people in the UK up in arms against it?

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What is China’s mega embassy plan in London?

In 2018, China bought the site of the old Royal Mint next to the Tower of London with the aim of building the largest Chinese diplomatic complex in Europe. This 5.4-acre piece of land served as the Royal Mint from 1809 to 1967. Before that, it was the site of a Black Death plague cemetery and was later used by the Royal Navy, reports the BBC.

The sale to Beijing was enabled after the British monarchy sold it to a property developer in 2010.

This property developer then sold the land to China for reportedly £255 million (Rs 2,771 crore) in 2018. Beijing bought it with the intention of converting it into an embassy, replacing the Marylebone neighbourhood.

China’s plan for the parcel of land is to build not just the ‘biggest embassy in Europe’ but also 225 homes and a “cultural exchange” building. The plans are for it to be almost twice the size of China’s embassy in Washington, the capital of the United States.

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To achieve these plans of building a ‘mega embassy, Beijing, as per a BBC report, intends to partially tear down some of the Grade-II buildings and restore others.

However, the Chinese plans hit a dead-end when the Tower Hamlets Council, the local authority for the London Borough of Tower Hamlets in Greater London, rejected the plan in 2022, stating that it could present a security risk due to the size of the protests it could attract.

What has happened to China’s plans since then?

While Beijing didn’t appeal the decision then — some speculate that the Xi Jinping-led nation knew that the Conservative Party would have supported the council’s decision — it did resubmit its plans once again after the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer , came to power in the country last year. In fact, The Guardian reports that Chinese President, Xi Jinping, raised the matter directly with Keir Starmer.

And since then, members of Starmer’s government have expressed support for the Chinese embassy — David Lammy, the country’s foreign secretary, and Yvette Cooper, the home secretary, submitted a joint letter last month, writing that they backed China’s move to build its embassy at the site of the Royal Mint.

In their letter, the pair stated that the Metropolitan Police had withdrawn their earlier objection to the proposed embassy. The withdrawal will have significantly increased Beijing’s chances of gaining planning approval.

Now, the final decision rests with Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary. A public inquiry will be held in front of a planning inspector from February 11-18, after which she will decide whether or not permission should be granted.

Why is there opposition to China’s embassy plan?

Since it was announced that Beijing had bought the piece of land and wanted to build a mega embassy, the locals living around the area have objected to it, raising concerns about security as well as surveillance.

One of the people living in Royal Mint Court told the Financial Times they suspected Beijing’s ultimate aim was to “get us out” of the properties, flatten the residential blocks and then build superior fortifications.

Mark Nygate, 64, a management accountant who is a vocal critic of the plan and a leading member of the Royal Mint Court Residents Association, also told the Financial Times that the proposed Chinese embassy has weighed heavily on him and other residents. “It’s certainly been very stressful. You don’t know whether you’ll be living here in a few years’ time . . . The pressure is having an impact on work and maybe, in some ways, my mental state as well,” he said.

On Saturday, these protests came to a head when over 1,000 people gathered at the proposed site, voicing their dissent against the embassy. UK shadow ministers, members of the opposition who scrutinise the work of the government, were also present at the site.

Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick speaking at the demonstration said, “We do not want this great historic building behind us, the Royal Mint, to become a mega embassy of the Chinese Communist Party.

“This is the wrong site. It is the wrong process and it is wrong for the national security of our country.

He further argued that the embassy would be a huge threat to the country’s security. “Why, when you have China stealing our intellectual property, spying on members of our government, sanctioning members of Parliament and intimidating, harassing British citizens day in, day out – why would we allow them to have here the biggest mega embassy and spy headquarters in Europe? No self-respecting country would do that. We have to stand against it. We have to fight this tooth and nail.”

Echoing similar anger was Tom Tugendhat, the shadow security minister. Addressing the crowds, he said, “ We know when the Chinese Communist Party puts up walls, what goes on inside them is never in Britain’s interest.

“We know that when the Chinese Communist Party closes doors the only thing they trap is freedom.

“And we know because many of you have lived it — many of you who are courageous Hong Kongers, courageous Tibetans and Uyghurs, who have explained your testimony a thousand times, have been extremely clear — that when the Chinese Communist Party brings its presence, fear comes close behind.”

Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith chimed in, saying it would be a “grave mistake” if permission was granted to build the embassy. “I think it’s an act of self-harm and a betrayal of the British people to have it here,” he said.

Even residents and locals opposed the move at the demonstration. There were nearly 30 different rights groups and even Hong Kongers who voiced their dissent against the Chinese embassy. One of the protesters, named Tai, told The Guardian, “We come from Hong Kong. We are afraid that China will use this place to look over us, against us. In Hong Kong, we have many experiences of China, the CPP (Chinese Communist Party), controlling the freedom and democracy against the Hong Kong people. We all face this.”

He further said that the embassy could be used by the Chinese government “to control the Hong Kong people who live in the UK”, adding that: “People leave Hong Kong because they are afraid of the CPP.”

The protests even saw violence with the police clashing with demonstrators. At the end, two people were arrested on suspicion of breaching the Section 14 (Public Order Act) conditions in place for the gathering.

What does China say?

Reacting to the protest, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy said: “We are firmly against anti-China forces’ disruptive action targeting the new Chinese embassy project. The Chinese side urges the UK side to take action against related illegal activities by the law.

“The Chinese embassy in the UK has the important obligation to promote people-to-people friendship and the development of relations between China and the UK.

“Building the new embassy will enable us to better fulfil these obligations. Host countries have the international obligation to support and facilitate the building of the premises of diplomatic missions. It is hoped that the UK side will fulfil that obligation.”

With inputs from agencies