Latest news with #superembassy
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
China's super-embassy in London ‘must be blocked' after US warning
Plans for a new Chinese 'super-embassy' in London must be blocked after a warning from the White House, the Tories have said. Chris Philp, the shadow home secretary, said the proposals for a huge new complex near the city's financial hub pose a 'security risk' and should be thrown out. The proposed 'mega embassy' at the former Royal Mint site near the Tower of London has been locked in a planning battle for years, with the decision called in for review last year. The proposal has proved extremely controversial, with fears the building could effectively become a nest of spies in the heart of London. It has now been reported that the White House has warned the UK to reject the proposals on security grounds, given the site's proximity to a hub of sensitive data near key financial centres. It comes after cyber experts for the UK Government privately sounded the alarm about the plans in an exchange sent to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. A senior US official told The Sunday Times: 'The United States is deeply concerned about providing China with potential access to the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies.' On Sunday, Mr Philp said it was 'likely' the embassy would be used as a base for Chinese espionage and urged the Government to block it. Asked for his view on the reports in The Sunday Times, he told Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: 'Well, I agree with the United States. We think it is a security risk. 'In government the Conservatives were very clear, we should not be allowing the Chinese to build this super-embassy. 'It is likely to become a base for their pan-European espionage activities and it sits very close to, of course, the UK's financial centre. 'It's very close to three critical data centres … data cables connecting, for example, Canary Wharf to the City, run very close or indeed even underneath the site, and it is very likely the Chinese would use it to organise espionage activities. 'We've seen the Chinese government cracking down on dissidents, running secret police stations in the UK, even putting bounties on the heads of dissidents, some of whom I've met. We should not be giving permission to this.' The row presents an awkward dilemma for Sir Keir Starmer, who has pursued a strategy of engagement with Beijing while attempting to maintain a positive relationship with Donald Trump, a prominent China sceptic. The White House official quoted by The Sunday Times said: 'The United States expects that all decisions will be taken with our (both US and UK) national security interests in mind and after thorough mitigation as recommended and approved by counter-intelligence professionals.' Peter Kyle, the Science Secretary, said the UK would offer a 'fulsome response' to any security concerns raised. He told Phillips: 'These issues will be taken care of assiduously in the planning process. 'But just to reassure people, we deal with embassies and these sorts of infrastructure issues all the time. 'We are very experienced of it, and we are very aware of these sorts of issues constantly, not just when new buildings are being done, but all the time.' Asked about the US warning, he said: 'These are the issues that we talk about as two countries all the time… we're in the Five Eyes agreement, America and Britain share intelligence… We are one of the few countries in the world that share intelligence.' He added: 'If people raise security issues even though it relates to planning, then I'm sure we will have a fulsome response for them. But look, the key thing is, these are issues which are quite routinised in the way that we deal with the security of our country. 'This is not new. It's going through planning. These are issues that will be dealt with in that process.'
Sky News
2 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Minister dismisses US misgivings over Chinese 'super embassy' in London - as Tories warn of 'espionage base'
A minister has dismissed reported US misgivings about plans for a Chinese "super embassy" near London's financial districts. Peter Kyle told Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that security concerns will be "taken care of assiduously in the planning process". According to The Sunday Times, the White House has warned Downing Street against the proposed massive embassy at Royal Mint Court. The site is between financial hubs in the City of London and Canary Wharf and close to three data centres, raising concerns about espionage risk. Asked for the government's view on the risk, Mr Kyle said: "These issues will be taken care of assiduously in the planning process. "But just to reassure people, we deal with embassies and these sorts of infrastructure issues all the time. "We are very experienced and we are very aware of these sorts of issues constantly, not just when new buildings are being done, but all the time." He added that America and Britain "share intelligence iteratively" and if they raise security concerns through the planning process "we will have a fulsome response for them". However, shadow home secretary Chris Philp said he shared the US's concerns. He told Trevor Phillips: "I agree with the United States. We think it is a security risk in the government. "The Conservatives were very clear. We should not be allowing the Chinese to build the super embassy. It is likely to become a base for their pan-European espionage activities." He added that underneath the sites are cables connecting the City of London to Canary Wharf and these could be intercepted. China has been attempting to revise plans for the Royal Mint building, opposite the Tower of London, since purchasing it in 2018. The proposal for the embassy, which would be China's largest in Europe, was previously rejected by Tower Hamlets council in 2022. However, Beijing resubmitted it in August after Labour won the election, and the plans were "called in" by Angela Rayner, the deputy prime minister and housing secretary. It means that an inspector will be appointed to carry out an inquiry into the proposal, but the decision ultimately rests with central government rather than the local authority. Two large protests were held at the site in February and March, which organisers claimed involved thousands of people.
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
China's proposed ‘super embassy poses super risk' to security, Tories claim
China's proposed 'super embassy poses a super risk', the Tories have claimed as they warned the project risks compromising communications infrastructure serving the City of London. More than a thousand demonstrators took to the streets of central London earlier this year to protest against the proposed embassy. Ministers are expected to make a final decision on the redevelopment plans at the historic former site of the Royal Mint, after it was rejected by the local council, Tower Hamlets. Speaking in the Commons, shadow Cabinet Office minister Alex Burghart accused the Government of being 'too weak' to block the plans. He said: 'The Government's own cyber experts, Innovate UK, have warned the Government that the proposed Chinese embassy at the Royal Mint threatens to compromise the telephone and internet exchange that serves the financial City of London. 'The experts are now telling the Government what everyone else has known all along: the super embassy poses a super risk. 'Yet the Deputy Prime Minister's office has said that any representations on the planning application have to be made available to the applicants. 'So perhaps the real Deputy Prime Minister can clear this up – is the Government seriously saying that if MI5 or GCHQ have concerns about security on this site, those concerns will have to be passed to the Chinese Communist Party or has the Deputy Prime Minister (Angela Rayner) got it wrong?' Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Pat McFadden replied: 'When it comes to both engagement with China and with an issue like this, we will of course engage properly and always bear in mind our own national security considerations.' He also accused Tory governments of opting to 'withdraw' from engaging with China for a number of years after they had previously sought a 'golden era' with Beijing. A spokesperson for Innovate UK said it 'has not raised any concerns', adding: 'Innovate UK does not have responsibility for cyber security.' Comments referred to by Mr Burghart are understood to have been made in a personal capacity. Mr Burghart went on to say: 'At the heart of this are two simple facts. First, the Government already knows that this site is a security risk; it's a security risk to the City of London and through it our economy and the economies of all nations that trade in London. 'Second, the Government has the power to block it. Ireland and Australia have both already blocked similar embassy developments. Why is this Government too weak to act?' In his reply, Mr McFadden said: 'A decision on this application will be taken in full consideration of our national security considerations. That is always part of this and it is part of our engagement with China and with other countries.' Chancellor Rachel Reeves flew to China in January to meet with the country's leaders and set out a path towards further investment into Britain. Elsewhere in Cabinet Office questions, Mr McFadden said the Civil Service should be more representative of the UK and speak with 'all the accents of the country'. This came in response to Labour MP for Dudley, Sonia Kumar, who said: 'I welcome the relocation of the Civil Service across the country and with a recent study showing that Dudley has high levels of economic inactivity, what reassurances can (he) give me that young people in Dudley want every opportunity to build their career in the Civil Service, whether that's training, apprenticeships, or any mentorships?' Mr McFadden replied: '(Ms Kumar) will not be surprised to hear my strong enthusiasm for greater employment opportunities for young people in the Black Country. 'When we made the announcement last week about the relocation, we also announced a new apprentice scheme because we don't just have to change location, we have to change recruitment patterns too if we're really going (to) get that Civil Service that speaks with all the accents of the country.' Later in the session, Conservative MP Lincoln Jopp (Spelthorne) asked for reassurance that 'no Cabinet Office ministers will be attending Glastonbury this year', because 'controversial Ulster rap band' Kneecap remain part of the festival's line-up. Mr McFadden replied: 'I will not be going to Glastonbury, but I'm very much looking forward to going to see Bruce Springsteen at Anfield Stadium on Saturday night.'
