Statement on Chinese Embassy plan 就新中國大使館計劃的聲明

Embargo: For Immediate Release

15 March 2025

Statement on the proposed Chinese Embassy 
facing the City of London

The recent development of the new Chinese embassy complex is disturbing. The floor space will be larger than the US embassy in London - a diplomatic mission belonging to the country in that we hold a special relationship and deep cooperation in NATO.

Our first concern is national security. Chinese diplomats have shown then contempt for local law. Such an embassy emboldens the challenging regime's use of detaining and interrogating dissents of the Chinese Communist Party. Only in 2022, the Chinese Consulate in Manchester dragged UK residents into the embassy when an activist made a demanding petition outside the consulate gate. More importantly, the Parliamentary Intelligence and Security report on China highlighted that the Chinese global intelligence apparatus (ChIS) operates beyond the remits of intelligence agencies we accept in liberal democracies. The ChIS is involved in extortion and kidnappings aboard.

The second concern involves the planning process. As information stands, the Metropolitan Police considered its previous objections resolved from recommendations conducted by a risk assessment report where the consultancy was funded by the Chinese Government. There were earlier demands by the Met including adjustments to fencing and open grounds. We ask why the Metropolitian Police have not provided legal justifications to the public and how their initial concerns are now mitigated. In the absence of these justifications, we considered that The Met is heavily influenced by the Chinese report.

Third, local residents' objections will be ignored by Labour ministers if they were to grant the planning application which was called in by the Secretary of State. Residents in the proximity have raised their objections to the Town Planning. Former Liberal Democrats Councillor Rabina Khan for Housing has led campaigns to raise residents' objections.

We urge the government, which took the initiative to call in the planning application, to reject such planning. It is not in both local and national interests.

Also, approving the Chinese embassy planning application will not be in the interest of protecting liberal democracies.




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就有關倫敦市中心新中國大使館計劃的聲明

本會對近日就中國政府計劃於倫敦建立新大使館的事態發展感到不安。計劃裡面的樓層面積比現時美國駐倫敦大使館更大，更何況美國與我們在北約有合作與盟邦的關係。

我們最擔心的是，新落成的大使館將會變成中方拘捕及審問流亡英國異見人士的中心。就在2022年，駐曼城的中國大使館職員曾將在大使館閘前抗議的英國居民強行拉入大使館範圍裡面。更重要的是，在國會發表就中國情報及國安的報告裡面，就強調中國在各國設立的情報網絡已經遠遠超過自由社會對情報機關可以容忍的限界。

我們亦對整個審核計劃的過程感到憂慮。

倫敦警察廳最近由反對該項計劃改變為不反對，始作蛹者在於中國政府資助的顧問公司提交的一份風險評級報告。過去倫敦警察廳就計劃要求修正，包括調整圍柵以及公共開放空間等。我們質疑，就倫敦警察廳突然改變態度，為何他們未能對公眾提出任何法理依據。在他們缺乏法理依據的情況下，我們認為他們是強烈受到該份報告的影響而改變立場。

與此同時，在鄰近地區的居民，正在向都市計劃的部門對計劃提出反對。前任屬於自由民主黨並曾監督都市規劃的區議員Rabina Khan正領導這次抗議運動，為居民發聲。

我們強烈要求，對計劃剛公佈時提出反對的工黨政府，接納居民的要求，駁回該項計劃。

我們認為，這次批准建立新中國大使館計劃的決定，並不符合英國對保護自由民主體制的利益。 

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