Trump’s officials discuss takeover of China’s ‘mega-embassy’ site

Officials in Donald Trump’s administration have discussed taking over the site of China’s proposed “mega-embassy” in London for a new US embassy, The i Paper has been told. China’s plans for the controversial development on the Royal Mint Court site in the City of London are currently at the centre of a legal battle. US officials see an opportunity to acquire the site if the project’s planning permission is eventually overturned, believing such a move would hand Washington a major geopolitical win. Currently, the development is still set to go ahead after the High Court dismissed a challenge against the UK Government by local residents, who are bitterly opposed to the plans. They are now planning to appeal that decision. Shorts The Americans are unlikely to get their wish based on the current status of the legal row. However, this newspaper has been told the idea has been floated at the highest levels of the US State Department and among officials at the American embassy in London. Sources familiar with the discussions said it has been viewed by some US officials as a rare opportunity to secure one of London’s most valuable diplomatic locations while denying Beijing a major symbolic foothold in the heart of the British capital. The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association brought a legal challenge against the Government and Tower Hamlets Council, claiming the embassy would breach their human rights. They alleged the development could lead to retaliation against critics of China and increase the risk of terrorism, which the Government and local authority disputed. The legal challenge was dismissed by the High Court on Friday but they are now planning to appeal. The group warned: “We are in for the long haul… If they think this is the end of the road, they’re going to discover that they are wrong. We fight on.” If the planning approval was overturned, diplomatic discussions over whether the US could attempt to purchase the site from China could intensify, insiders said. Royal Mint Court, the proposed site of a new Chinese mega embassy in London (Photo: Isabel Infantes/Reuters) High-ranking US officials ‘love’ the idea One senior Whitehall source said: “Officials at the highest levels of the US State Department have been discussing this idea for months and love it.” Another official with high level connections on both sides of the Atlantic, said the idea is being actively discussed in MAGA circles – the Trump-loyal Republican movement – and said it would be seen as a “geopolitical victory” for the US. It has even been joked that the current US embassy complex at Nine Elms in London could be gifted to the Chinese in exchange for them agreeing to sell the site, which occupies a strategically significant location close to the Tower of London. Royal Mint Court has become one of the most politically sensitive property developments in London. If completed, the Chinese embassy complex would become Beijing’s largest in the Europe. US officials have previously raised concerns about the site’s proximity to underground fibre-optic cables carrying sensitive communications between London’s financial districts. Washington feared the location could give Beijing an opportunity to monitor or disrupt critical data flows, prompting calls for security safeguards before the project was approved. The UK Government has since said the risks identified by security agencies have been addressed through mitigation measures, though details have not been made public. Beijing has rejected accusations that its diplomatic facilities pose a security threat and has said the embassy will operate in line with international agreements. The site’s central location is understood to be a source of envy among some American officials, who view it as strategically superior to the US embassy’s current base in Nine Elms, south of the River Thames. ‘I wish the US had taken that spot instead of China’ In an interview with Sky News in January, US House Speaker Mike Johnson said the Royal Mint Court site was a “great location for an embassy,” adding: “I wish the US had taken that spot instead of China.“It does send a certain message – it seems – that China would have such a prominent place and have such a – as they would call it – a mega-embassy and I don’t think that’s a great development from our perspective.” The American embassy moved from Grosvenor Square to Nine Elms in 2018, a relocation designed around security, modern facilities and operational requirements. But some officials have privately questioned whether the move came at the cost of the influence and visibility that comes with a central London address. A swap involving the two embassies would be an extraordinary move and would require agreement between multiple governments. No formal negotiations are understood to be under way, and sources stressed that discussions remain exploratory. But the fact the idea has reached senior diplomatic circles highlights the strategic importance attached to the outcome of the Royal Mint Court dispute. For China, losing the site would represent a significant diplomatic setback after years of efforts to establish a new London base. For the US, securing the location would be seen by supporters of the plan as a symbolic victory in the wider contest for influence between Washington and Beijing. The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association have instructed lawyers to apply for permission to appeal, which could potentially take the dispute to the Court of Appeal and beyond. The Conservatives, who are also opposed to the development, have urged the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham to stop the development. Shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said he must “stand up to Beijing, protect our national security and do the right thing by ditching this dreadful plan”.