Allowing a Chinese ‘mega-embassy’ in London would be a ‘grave mistake’, a former Tory cabinet minister has said.
Former security minister Tom Tugendhat expressed concerns over plans for a 700,000 square feet mega hub, which could potentially become the largest foreign embassy in Britain. He criticized the project as being focused on ‘state power’ while disregarding human rights.
Tugendhat, a former Member of Parliament, warned that if the controversial development was allowed to proceed, it would indicate that the Government has not absorbed the lessons from the past decade.
During a protest held at the proposed location at Royal Mint Court, Tugendhat emphasized the significance of the situation by stating, ‘It wouldn’t just be a turning point. It would be a grave mistake.’
‘It would be a very clear statement that our Government had chosen the wrong side and not the side that was for the defence and protection of the British people and our economic future.’
Tugendhat said: ‘The reality is some people made decisions in 2010, 2013, you can understand at the time. You can see the hopefulness and the optimism with which they approached it.
‘To have that same optimism in 2025? It’s not optimism anymore, that’s just a wilful ignorance.’
It comes as videos showed police arresting two protesters at the demonstration on Saturday afternoon, which was also attended by Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick.
Organisers said that more than 5,000 turned up to demonstrate against the proposed complex which would dwarf the US facility in Nine Elms and be more than three times the size of the MI6 building.
Plans to convert the historic site into the embassy were unanimously rejected by local councillors in December, but the application has since been called in following supportive interventions by cabinet ministers Yvette Cooper and David Lammy.
This the second attempt by Beijing to secure permission to develop the land, which it acquired for £255million in 2018.
Pictures and a video showed a man being detained by officers before being led to a police vehicle.
Clashes between officers and attendees erupted and were quelled multiple times during the protest, with police pictured attempting to hold back angry crowds.
Tugendhat warned: ‘we know when the Chinese Communist Party puts up walls, what goes on inside them is never in Britain’s interest’.
Addressing the crowd, he said: ‘We know that when the Chinese Communist Party closes doors the only thing they trap is freedom.
‘And we know because many of you have lived it – many of you who are courageous Hong Kongers, courageous Tibetans and Uighurs, who have explained your testimony a thousand times, have been extremely clear – that when the Chinese Communist Party brings its presence, fear comes close behind.’
A large crowd spilled across most of the junction between Tower Hill and Tower Bridge Road.Â
Protesters waved large flags that said ‘Free Hong Kong – revolution now’ and placards featuring cartoon character Winnie-the-Pooh, an image that was censored in China.
One of the signs said ‘Say no to China’s transnational oppression’ and another read ‘CCP is watching you, Stop the mega embassy.’
The new embassy would be almost twice the size of China’s facility in Washington, and would replace the country’s current diplomatic mission on Portland Place, central London.
Opponents include several local residents groups who believe the monstrous complex will become a nest of Beijing spies and a magnet for protesters against China’s human rights abuses such as against the Uyghur community in Xinjiang.
Planning proposals have been twice thrown out by Tower Hamlets councillors who feared for the safety of locals, concerns initially echoed by the Met Police which said the overstretched force lacked the resources to protect the surrounding area from potentially huge demonstrations.
The Met has since withdrawn its objection, which lodged as recently as December, allegedly after seeing a re-examining a three-year-old technical document commissioned and paid for by China, showing how protests could be handled around the site, paving the way for the plans to be approved.
The final say on the plans now rests with government after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner called in the application in October.
During his meeting with President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Sir Keir Starmer brought up the embassy with the Chinese leader.
The PM was overheard remarking: ‘You raised the Chinese embassy building in London when we spoke on the telephone.’
Metropolitan Police confirmed that a man and a woman were arrested for public order offences.Â
A statement by the force said: ‘Officers arrested two people on suspicion of breaching the Section 14 conditions. We continue to have a presence in the area.’
