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The UK’s foreign secretary and home secretary have intervened on China’s request to plan a huge new embassy in London, signaling their support as they set out conditions for the proposed site.
In a joint letter to England’s Planning Inspectorate on Tuesday, David Lammy and Yvette Cooper stressed “the importance of countries having functional diplomatic premises in other countries’ capitals”.
The intervention came after Rachel Reeves visited Beijing and Shanghai last week to boost economic ties, the first such trip by a British chancellor to the Chinese mainland since 2017. Lammy visited China last year.
Lammy and Cooper revealed in the letter that the Metropolitan Police had “withdrawn its objection” to Beijing’s proposal to build a diplomatic complex at Royal Mint Court, near the edge of the City of London.
“Overall, the Metropolitan Police’s public order experts are satisfied that there is sufficient space for future protests without significant impact on the adjacent road network,” the two senior ministers said in a letter seen by the Financial Times.
But ministers also demanded that China agree to change a “small design element” and give up diplomatic accreditation to seven other venues across London.
Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, who will decide whether the embassy will be approved, “should not make a decision on this request until a firm plan is agreed on to consolidate Chinese diplomatic premises,” they said.
The Chinese government has stressed its desire for a new embassy, which would be China’s largest diplomatic mission in Europe, in talks with London after its initial attempt to get planning permission was blocked by the local council in 2022.
Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the issue directly with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer after Beijing launched the new app last summer. Tower Hamlets local authority had previously refused to approve the proposal due to safety concerns and the impact on local residents.
The new complex would occupy more than 20,000 square meters of land and far exceed the size of the current Chinese Embassy in Marylebone, which was built on an 830 square meter plot.
The letter from Lammy and Cooper acknowledged that the Metropolitan Police had “previously expressed concerns about the capacity of the site for protests” and that “differences of opinion remain as to where protests are most likely to congregate”.
The letter demanded the removal of plans for “unregulated public access” to the Cistercian ruins within the complex, arguing that the site’s diplomatic status could delay the response of authorities in the event of a security incident or health emergency, which would require permission to enter.
Instead, Lammy and Cooper said a tight perimeter of the area was needed, with “occasional controlled public access” agreed between the Chinese embassy and UK authorities.
The Financial Times revealed in October that Rayner had invited to decision, taking it out of the hands of Tower Hamlets council, and last month the Chinese state-owned enterprises of submitted submissions support for application to the government.
Rayner will decide whether to approve the embassy after receiving a recommendation from the planning inspector. The UK is also seeking to rebuild its embassy in China, which needs Beijing’s approval.
Luke de Pulford, chief executive of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), a cross-party group of MPs concerned about Beijing, said: “The mask has slipped and it is now painfully clear that the government is desperate to approve China’s application, under pressure from Beijing.
“Concerns for national security alone should be enough to stop this, but the unanimous will of the local council and residents is also essential.”
The UK Labor administration has said it is pursuing a “three C” approach to Beijing, pledging to cooperate on global issues such as climate and health, challenge issues such as human rights and compete where appropriate.
A UK government spokesman said: “National security is the government’s first duty. This has been our top priority throughout this process.
“This is why the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office have submitted written statements to reflect these considerations and highlight the importance of all countries having functional diplomatic premises in each other’s capitals.”
The Metropolitan Police and the Chinese Embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
