The political opposition ramped up pressure on the Labour government to block China’s proposed mega embassy in a protest attended by hundreds this Saturday.
Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Reform UK MPs addressed protesters outside the Royal Mint Court – the site of the proposed development – raising concerns China would use the site as a spy hub.
China purchased the Royal Mint Court, Tower Hill, for £255m in 2018 and the long-running saga around its planning application could finally be resolved if the Government gives it the green light this week.
Speakers at the protest on Saturday warned China could use the embassy as a platform for repression. Many in the crowd were members of the Chinese, Uyghur or Tibetan diaspora, or exiled Hong Kongers.
Members of the Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association, who live in the flats on the site, also attended the rally to display their opposition to the plans.
Last week, concerns were raised over the potential use of the embassy for espionage after The Telegraph revealed the underground complex beneath the site comes within metres of sensitive information cables transmitting data between the City of London and Canary Wharf.
Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the opposition, told the gathered protesters: “What we need right now is a Government that will act in the British national interest and protect those people who are fighting for those Chinese citizens who are suffering.”
Reform UK’s Danny Kruger, the Liberal Democrats’ Bobby Dean, and former Conservative leader Iain Duncan-Smith also addressed the rally.
Christopher Mung, director of Hong Kong Labour Rights Monitor, told SWLondoner: “It is very important for a wide range of different political parties to show their support for our demand.”
A Tibetan protester who asked not to be named told SWLondoner his father followed the Dalai Lama into exile in India following a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
He said: “This is the wrong message the Government of [the] UK is sending and we need to stop it.”
The Government’s final decision on the planning application is set to be announced on Tuesday, January 20.
A Foreign Office spokesperson has said: “It is a normal feature of diplomatic relations for countries to maintain embassies – we have embassies worldwide, including in Beijing.
“It goes without saying that national security has been a priority through this process. In terms of process, the decision will be made independently by the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government, and the department have set out that a decision will be made on or by 20 January.”
Featured image credit: Felix Armstrong
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