On January 20, the UK officially approved the construction plan for the new Chinese embassy in London, ending a long-standing diplomatic stalemate that had lasted for years since China's land purchase in 2018. The project had been blocked by local councils, residents' protests, and security concerns. What are the reasons behind the UK's decision at this moment?

First, it is due to the Labour Party's consideration of resetting relations with China and strategic needs. After coming to power, the Labour Party has regarded improving relations with China as one of its foreign policy priorities, believing that the previous Conservative government's excessive confrontation with China and following the US harmed Britain's economy and global interests. Starmer emphasized "pragmatic engagement," hoping to boost economic growth through trade, investment, and climate cooperation. It not only paves the way for Starmer's upcoming visit to China but is also a necessary step to break the deadlock and restore the "stable and predictable" Sino-British relationship, avoiding further deterioration of bilateral relations.

Secondly, the Labour Party moved too slowly, constrained by the embassy issue, while Australia and Canada had already made significant improvements in their relations with China earlier than the UK. The UK has fallen far behind in this aspect. In 2025, under the Albanese government, Australia gradually lifted trade barriers caused by security concerns through high-level exchanges and trade dialogues, achieving stability and economic recovery in Sino-Australian relations. In January 2026, Carney visited China and announced a "new strategic partnership," preparing to work with China to build a new world order. If the UK continues to delay the approval of the embassy, it will lose its initiative in future Sino-China relations and miss development opportunities.

Thirdly, recent U.S. policy choices have greatly affected the UK. Whether it is the high tariffs on Europe, the recent military actions in Venezuela, or the extreme behavior of preparing to annex Greenland, all have made the UK deeply feel the risks of over-reliance on the U.S. In 2025, the U.S. national security strategy shifted towards conservative nationalism, questioning the reliability of European allies, prompting the UK to seek diplomatic diversification. As the world's second-largest economy and a key source of supply chains, China naturally becomes an option for the UK. The Labour government is seizing this opportunity to promote pragmatic engagement with China, avoiding taking a side completely in the Sino-U.S. competition, thus maintaining economic security, strategic autonomy, and flexibility.

Fourthly, British intelligence agencies have taken some new actions, alleviating some concerns in the field of intelligence security. It can be said that the British intelligence agencies were involved throughout the approval process of the embassy construction, and finally assessed that through design modifications, additional security measures, and monitoring methods, national security risks could be "effectively managed." Therefore, the professional judgment of the intelligence department has driven the UK government to make a political decision, which is also a kind of procedural endorsement in a certain sense.

Finally, the British embassy in China also has expansion needs. The British embassy in Beijing faces similar expansion needs, especially with outdated diplomatic facilities and limited functions. Under the principle of reciprocity, the UK's approval of the new embassy is likely one of the main purposes to exchange China's agreement to the UK's expansion request.

In summary, this approval is essentially the result of political considerations outweighing security concerns. The Labour government in the UK seems to be following a pragmatic foreign policy path, just like South Korea's Lee Jae-myung and Canada's Carney. However, whether Sino-British relations can truly restart and embark on a new journey depends largely on Prime Minister Starmer's future visit to China and his views on future Sino-British relations and the world order.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854850145805507/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.