【By Observer News, Qi Qian】

On January 19, multiple British media outlets reported that the UK government is expected to announce on local time January 19 or 20 its approval of the construction plan for the new Chinese embassy. China submitted the application in 2018, and since then, the UK has repeatedly delayed the approval for more than seven years without just cause.

According to the Financial Times, on January 19 local time, Saima Malhotra, the UK's deputy minister for Indo-Pacific affairs at the Foreign Office, delivered a speech in the House of Commons, hinting that the approval of the new Chinese embassy planning application was imminent.

Malhotra said that "national security" has always been the "core priority" throughout the entire embassy approval process, with intelligence and security agencies closely involved. "They have been fully involved, and a series of measures have been formulated and are being implemented to protect national security."

Previously, the UK Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities issued a notice stating that due to the need to seek opinions from relevant parties on letters from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office, the approval time for the Chinese embassy's new premises planning application was postponed to January 20.

The report mentioned that over the past seven years, the UK government has used multiple excuses to delay the approval, including so-called "national security" and "espionage" issues, as well as claiming that the project might "interfere with nearby communication cables".

However, during the January 19 parliamentary session, several MPs mentioned the main obstacle to approving the new Chinese embassy premises - the interference of the United States.

MPs stated that the White House expressed "concern" privately, and US House of Representatives Republican Speaker Mike Johnson recently expressed his personal concern, saying: "We should let our friends make their own decisions. But if it were me, I would be very cautious."

Malhotra speaking in parliament on January 19, official photo

Additionally, according to the Daily Telegraph on January 18, the US has repeatedly intervened in the issue of the new Chinese embassy premises.

On August 18, 2024, a senior White House National Security Council official discussed this issue with the UK Foreign Office and requested the UK intelligence agency to provide a technical briefing on the "communication cable" situation. Five days later, the UK announced a postponement of the approval.

According to sources, after that, the UK government submitted a risk assessment report to "Five Eyes" partner countries, promising that the new embassy premises did not involve sensitive government communications. However, during at least three meetings held in London in November and December, US officials from the White House, State Department, and US Embassy repeatedly raised the issue. The UK postponed the approval twice again.

It is reported that the UK Foreign Office has begun diplomatic efforts to convince the US that the concerns about the communication cables are baseless. However, until last year, US officials still raised objections to the UK's ambassador to the US.

Original site of the Royal Mint, China Daily

Bloomberg noted that in recent months, UK ministers have been quietly preparing to approve the application. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss expressed satisfaction with China's efforts last year to "resolve concerns". Former MI6 director Richard Moore said there should be "a pathway" for the new Chinese embassy. UK Prime Minister Starmer also called for strengthening commercial ties with China a few weeks ago.

The report also noted that this decision comes at a sensitive moment in UK-US relations. Previously, President Trump threatened the UK and other European countries on the Greenland issue, threatening to take action through tariffs. The UK responded by stating that Trump's threats were "completely wrong", "unfounded", and "counterproductive", and that "it is not the way to treat allies."

The Financial Times pointed out that soon, Starmer will become the first UK prime minister in eight years to visit China. In recent months, the proposed new Chinese embassy premises have become a focus in bilateral relations, and this is at a time when Starmer is seeking to promote Sino-British trade.

China expressed dissatisfaction with the UK's repeated delays in making planning decisions. Last month, Starmer laid the groundwork for an upcoming visit to China, stating that after years of "ups and downs" in bilateral relations, the UK needs a "more mature" approach to relations with China.

The Guardian reported that if Starmer goes to Beijing as expected, he will be the first UK prime minister to visit China since 2018. During that visit, former Prime Minister Theresa May signed a 900 million pound agreement with China.

Kerry Brown, director of the Liu Institute for China Studies at King's College London, said that the UK's repeated delays in approval reflect the UK's "cold and hot" attitude toward China, and the UK "has complicated what was originally a relatively simple issue." He also believes that if the new embassy application is rejected, many other aspects of bilateral relations, such as cooperation on artificial intelligence, will be hindered.

Brown said, "China is a big player, but has other choices. While the UK has fewer options."

The new embassy site is located at the original site of the Royal Mint, adjacent to the Tower of London, CNN map

The current Chinese embassy in the UK is located at No. 49 Portland Place, which has been in existence for 145 years. However, departments such as visas, education, and science and technology operate in different locations in London, causing inconvenience.

As early as 2018, the Chinese government purchased the site of the former Royal Mint, planning to partially rebuild it as the new Chinese embassy in the UK.

According to the introduction, the new embassy building is located at the former Royal Mint Court, adjacent to the River Thames and the City of London, with historical significance and a superior location. The main building was constructed in 1805 and began minting in 1810. The building was designed by the famous British architect and also the designer of the British Museum, Robert Smirke, and was used as the Royal Mint until 1975.

According to the embassy's planning application, some of the secondary protected buildings on the site will be partially demolished, while others will be restored. Once completed, the embassy will become the largest foreign embassy in the UK, equipped with accommodations for hundreds of staff members, cultural exchange centers, and business centers.

The planning application documents state that the project will "positively promote and improve" the surrounding environment, providing "new job opportunities" for the local area, and stating that it will "protect" the nearby Tower of London.

However, once the plan was announced, it was exploited by certain individuals. Some British politicians and foreign media have continuously exaggerated the so-called "Chinese threat," inciting local public resistance.

Last December, the UK government once again postponed the approval, moving the approval date from December 10 to January 20, 2026.

According to a message from the Chinese embassy in the UK website in December last year, the embassy spokesperson answered a journalist's question, stating: "We strongly oppose and firmly oppose the UK's repeated changes to the approval time of the Chinese embassy's new premises planning application. We strongly urge the UK to quickly approve the Chinese planning application to avoid further damaging mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides."

This article is exclusive to Observer News, and any reproduction without permission is prohibited.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7597286783008653876/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and not necessarily those of the publisher.