London officials express worries about a new Chinese embassy’s effect on police resources and public safety amid rising tensions.
London: There’s a lot of chatter going on about a new Chinese ‘super-embassy’ planned near the Tower of London. City Hall is buzzing with concerns.
Assembly members are urging the deputy mayor for policing to oppose this project. They think the location is just not right and could lead to protests, which would stretch police resources even thinner.
Deputy mayor Kaya Comer-Schwartz didn’t outright criticize the plan, even though the Metropolitan Police have raised their own objections. She did admit there’s a lot of strong feelings about it.
Reports say if the plan gets the green light from Deputy PM Angela Rayner, it might stir up some diplomatic issues with the U.S., especially with Trump’s team coming in. There’s worry that this embassy could ramp up China’s spying activities.
Last week, Tower Hamlets Council rejected the planning application, but their decision isn’t final. The Government will make the call after a hearing at the end of January.
This isn’t the first time the council has turned down a similar proposal. They did it back in 2022 too.
During a recent meeting, assembly member Unmesh Desai brought this up, highlighting that the police objections are pretty unusual. The Met’s counter-terrorism unit warned that the location is a major junction, and any protests could really disrupt not just the area but all of London.
Desai asked the deputy mayor if she would join him and the police in voicing their concerns to the planning authority. She admitted she was still catching up on the details but recognized that the council had rejected the application twice.
She mentioned that the mayor decided not to intervene, and now it’s up to the Government to make a decision.
Desai pressed for a clearer response, pointing out that this has implications for policing across the city. He wanted to know if she shared the police’s concerns.
Comer-Schwartz acknowledged the Met’s worries but said the Planning Inspectorate would look into their objections carefully.
Conservative assembly member Emma Best expressed her worries too, saying it’s rare for the Met to speak out on planning matters like this. She felt the way the Prime Minister met with Chinese officials before the application was called in didn’t sit well with many people.
Best urged the deputy mayor to stand up for the police’s position and make sure their concerns are heard in the application process.
Comer-Schwartz responded that she understands the strong feelings and will meet with Desai to review the situation.
Another assembly member, Sem Moema, shared her concerns about how this embassy could affect policing in east London, which is already stretched thin.
She emphasized that having an embassy in such a location isn’t suitable and could have serious operational impacts on the police.
After the council’s vote against the embassy, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy expressed disappointment, saying host countries have a duty to support diplomatic missions. They felt the council didn’t consider the application fairly.