UK council rejects project to build massive new Chinese embassy

By Ahmet Gurhan Kartal

LONDON (AA) - A council in the British capital London rejected a multi-million-pound project on Thursday to build a new Chinese embassy near one of its biggest landmarks amid a diplomatic row with Beijing.

The Tower Hamlets Council turned down the application to build the new building days after the alleged arrest and beating of a BBC journalist by Chinese police during a COVID-19 lockdown protest in Shanghai.

"The committee resolved to reject the application due to concerns over the impact on resident and tourist safety, heritage, police resources and the congested nature of the area. The application will now be referred to the Mayor of London before the final decision is issued," a council spokesperson said.

Beijing's massive new diplomatic mission in London's Royal Mint Court would be the largest embassy building in Europe, covering 700,000 square feet that had been purchased by China for around £255 million ($312 million). It would be in close proximity to the River Thames and London's famous and historical Tower Bridge.

A dispute between London and Beijing, sparked by the alleged beating of protesters in front of the Chinese Consulate in Manchester in October, further escalated last week when journalist Ed Lawrence was allegedly arrested and beaten by Chinese police in Shanghai.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the incident as "shocking and unacceptable" but Zhao Lijan, deputy director of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, accused Britain of "hypocritical practice of double standards" and said there had been "a serious distortion of the facts and constitute a grave interference in China's internal affairs."

Earlier this week, Sunak called China a "systemic challenge to our values and interests" in a major speech.

"We recognize China poses a systemic challenge to our values and interests, a challenge that grows more acute as it moves towards even greater authoritarianism," he said.