China’s new London ‘mega-embassy’ gets go ahead after High Court challenge fails despite fears it’ll become a spy hub

A CHINESE mega embassy has been given the go ahead after a High Court challenge against the planning permission was dismissed. The vast complex at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, has been given the green light. Plans for the complex have been controversial since they were unveiled in 2018 Credit: Alamy Fears have been raised that the building could be used for espionage Credit: Getty The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association (RMCRA) brought legal action against the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It hoped to prevent the construction of the super embassy, which it said could lead to terror attacks and the suppression of protests. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Concerns were raised that the building could be used to enforce “draconian” Chinese laws in the UK – targeting dissidents. There were also fears that the Chinese government may present a fire risk in the historic London borough. The objection to the plans said Beijing may ignore fire safety obligations, which would not be enforceable because of diplomatic immunity. The Government and the council defended the claim, saying they “conscientiously and carefully had regard” to the residents’ concerns. Following a hearing at the High Court earlier this month, two judges dismissed RMCRA’s challenge. Plans for the new embassy complex, which will be China’s largest diplomatic mission in Europe, have been controversial since they were unveiled in 2018. Most read in The Sun British concerns have largely focused on espionage risks from the mission. According to a Taiwanese official, the embassy risks becoming a hub for Beijing’s campaign of transnational repression. Vincent Chin-Hsiang Yao – the Taiwanese envoy to Britain – previously warned Taiwanese MPs blacklisted by Beijing as “diehard Taiwan independence separatists” would be in danger when travelling overseas. He told The Telegraph that a blacklisted individual risks being kidnapped by the Chinese secret police. And he warned that if it happens in the UK, these dissidents could be kept in the secret chambers of the mega-embassy. The mega embassy has previously been described as a “campus for 200 spies.” The five-acre site borders London’s financial district, with the Crown Jewels housed in the Tower of London just a stone’s throw away. The City of London’s skyscrapers — a powerhouse for the British economy — begin at the complex’s perimeter walls. There are fears that Chinese snoopers could tap into fibre optic cables to filch sensitive information. The site was once home to Barclays Bank’s trading floor, so it is wired into City financial houses. The compound also includes the Wapping Telephone Exchange, which serves the City and could be used to glean sensitive information. Previously, unredacted plans published by the Daily Telegraph show that China wants to build a hidden chamber under the embassy. It would be close to cables transmitting City financial data as well as email and messaging traffic from millions of internet users.