US ‘deeply concerned’ after Chinese ‘super-embassy’ approved in London
US officials said they were “deeply concerned” by Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to approve a Chinese “super embassy” in London, despite concerns from security experts and international allies.
The government gave the green light to a planning application on Tuesday despite warnings from MI5 that it “cannot eliminate every potential risk” posed by the new facility.
The US has become Britain’s latest ally to weigh in on the plans amid rising tensions between Sir Keir and Donald Trump following the US president’s outburst over the Chagos Islands deal on Tuesday.
Following the embassy’s confirmation, a senior US official said: Telegram He said they were “deeply concerned about adversaries exploiting the critical infrastructure of our closest allies.”
Beijing’s proposals for the building reportedly include 208 secret rooms and a secret room in the basement.
Opponents of the plans fear the secret chamber would be located close to data cables used by Britain’s financial sector to communicate between the City of London and Canary Wharf.
There are also concerns that the secret rooms could be used to detain dissidents who have fled China to the UK for safety.
The US concern comes after Labor MPs said on Monday that many other UK allies had expressed fears about the plans.
Sarah Champion, chair of the international development select committee, told an emergency House of Commons debate: “We have received two interventions from the Dutch government, the Swiss parliament, the Swedish parliament and the White House about the risks to UK infrastructure posed by cables running the length of the Royal Mint.”
MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum and GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler warned ministers that national security risks could not be completely eliminated, but said the intelligence agencies were putting together a “national security mitigation package”.
A letter sent to the Secretary of State and the Minister of Home Affairs mentioned the mitigation package, including cabling measures.
These reductions will be subject to regular review through an intergovernmental process carried out at a high level in the Home Office.
Local government secretary Steve Reed approved building plans at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, on Tuesday.
The decision comes at the end of a long-running campaign against the proposals, which campaigners and MPs say would create a basis for Chinese espionage and security measures.
Luke de Pulford, chairman of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, told the Press Association: “Years of campaigning about the obvious and diverse risks posed by this embassy development have not been enough to overcome the UK government’s lust for Beijing’s money.”
Despite these concerns, the government said the risks could be managed, and Security Minister Dan Jarvis told MPs that plans to combine seven Chinese diplomatic buildings into one contained “national security advantages”.
He was “assured that UK national security is protected” and told that the risks posed by the new embassy were “appropriately managed”.
Earlier, the prime minister’s official spokesman told reporters that secret facilities were “a standard part of any significant diplomatic presence” and hit back by branding those who opposed the plans as “naïve or recklessly isolationist”.
