Chinese embassy in London: residents vow appeal after loss

A British court dismissed a challenge to planning permission for a large Chinese embassy in central London on Friday, but residents seeking to block the project said they would try to appeal.

A campaign group of local residents and businesses had challenged permission for the planned embassy next to the Tower of London. They argued that the project would increase the risk of a terror attack, espionage and harassment of dissidents and protesters.

Two judges ruled remotely that the claims were dismissed, saying the housing minister and the London district of Tower Hamlets had acted lawfully when planning permission was granted in January.

The Royal Mint Court Residents Association said it would apply for permission to appeal and hoped the case would reach the UK Supreme Court. It said it had relaunched crowdfunding efforts to pay legal costs.

Beijing bought the former Royal Mint site in 2018 and plans to move its embassy there. The site covers 20,000 square metres, and UK planning documents put the projected floor space at more than 50,000 square metres, which would make it London’s largest embassy by floor space.

The project has faced opposition from nearby residents, rights groups and critics of China’s ruling Communist Party. The Daily Telegraph reported that unredacted plans showed Beijing planned a “concealed chamber” among “secret rooms” under the embassy, close to sensitive underground communications cables.

Then-security minister Dan Jarvis told MPs that “any risks are being appropriately managed”. He said intelligence agency chiefs had helped develop measures to manage risks and that consolidating China’s seven current London sites into one would bring security advantages.