Beijing has been eyeing a massive new embassy near the Tower of London, a 5.5-acre site that would dwarf its current location in Marylebone. If approved, it would become China’s largest embassy in Europe, sitting close to London’s financial nerve center and key fiber-optic networks.
Critics argue the site’s high-traffic location would make protests against China’s government more difficult. Human rights barrister Michael Polak questioned why the Metropolitan Police, once firmly against the plan, suddenly softened their stance on security concerns.
Locals aren’t thrilled either. “This area is known for standing up to oppression—we won’t be forced into hosting a foreign outpost that targets people for their beliefs,” Polak, representing a local residents’ group, told Brussels Signal.
The final verdict now rests with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who took charge after the Tower Hamlets council twice rejected the proposal. A public inquiry wrapped up on February 19, and a decision is expected by summer.
Yet, the UK government appears split. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper backed the embassy in January, following Chancellor Rachel Reeves’ trip to Beijing aimed at strengthening economic ties.
Local Councillor Peter Golds voiced frustration, pointing out that the proposed embassy would be 20% larger than China’s in Washington and just steps away from London’s key financial districts. “We said no, over and over again. Now the government is steamrolling us,” he told The New York Times on February 20.
Adding fuel to the fire, China has been blocking the UK’s attempt to rebuild its own embassy in Beijing, a £100 million project stalled until London grants approval for China’s new embassy.
Meanwhile, human rights barrister Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC—who represents jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai—revealed chilling accounts of harassment and cyberattacks linked to China. She and her colleagues have endured rape threats, financial hacking, and impersonation attempts.
In one instance, an email falsely sent in her name claimed she was quitting her work on Lai’s case, warning her team they were all in danger. On February 10, her LinkedIn account was mysteriously suspended and remained offline as of February 20.
Gallagher refuses to back down. “We don’t cave to bullies,” she posted on X. Speaking to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights on February 5, she acknowledged that while her own family isn’t at risk, many others face far worse consequences for speaking out.
With tensions running high and diplomatic leverage at play, China’s embassy battle in London is far from over.
