The UK government has given China the go-ahead to proceed with its new 215,000-square-foot mega-embassy in London, despite concerns that the building could be used as a launchpad for espionage purposes.
According to combined media sources, China purchased the building – the former site for the Royal Mint – in 2018 for $312 million, but the UK government withheld approval of its use as an embassy for several years due to poor relations between the two countries. But improved relations resulted in the administration of Prime Minister Keir Starmer to approve China using the property as an embassy.
However, concerns have been raised that the embassy will be used for much more than benign diplomatic functions. The Daily Telegraph reported China plans to build an underground 208-room complex beneath the embassy, which would be located adjacent to fiber optic cables that carry sensitive data. But a government spokesperson dismissed these concerns, insisting, “The government has seen the plans and are content that any risks are being managed.”
Photo: Steve Cadman / Wikimedia Commons
