History, Politics And Current Affairs

The vast, prestigious, 'Listed' building the Chinese own (!!), yet do not occupy is sited scarily close to far too many Inner London 'sensitivities'. Plus their proposed refurbishment plans show a lot of 'REDACTED' usage.

Meanwhile, latest report into renovation / repair costs of UK's Parliament / Big Ben etc Westminster complex has just warned that conditions are even worse than feared. Could so easily go the way of that French cathedral...

Apparently, all options are eye-watering expensive, and will take ruddy decades.
Doing the needful 'on the fly' with UK.Gov in residence is probably the most messy and longest-winded.
Moving either 'MPs' or 'Lords' out of their wings during step-wise refurbishment is probably quickest and cheapest, but neither group wants to go first...

The MPs do not want to lose the kudos of their location, even temporarily.
They have understandable fear that project will run long, longer, even longer...
The 'Lords' fear that, as soon as they are shuffled 'out of sight', they'll be lost 'out of mind'.
And, yes, that project will over-run appallingly, exiling them until forgotten / irrelevant...

Seems some wag has now proposed the two problems be set against each other.
If either MPs or Lords would move into the very, very prestigious 'Chinese Embassy' building while their wing is refurbished, then UK.Gov can reasonably tell Chinese to 'Hold Off'.
Technically, it 'Kicks The Can Down The Road', a solution ever-beloved of bureaucracy...

Besides, UK.Gov owe China.Gov a 'thumb in eye' for blatant, brutal breaching of those Hong Kong terms...

Starting to remind me of the USSR / Russian Embassy in DC.

The proposed site of the new Chinese Embassy is also 1 metre (metre!!!) away from a main fibre optic node leading out of central London.

Hmm, I couldn’tpossibly foresee a problem there.

That is but one of those 'sensitivities'...

Very interesting idea.

The chinese have been given the OK.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2xwp37dmgo

The UK has approved China's plans for a huge new embassy in central London, despite opponents warning it could be used as a base for spying and pose security risks.

A government spokesperson said intelligence agencies had been involved throughout the process, and consolidating China's diplomatic premises into a single site would bring "clear security advantages".

The decision, which has repeatedly been delayed, had posed a challenge for the government, as it seeks to balance its desire for closer ties with Beijing with warnings of the threat posed by China.

It comes as Sir Keir Starmer is expected to visit Beijing early this year, becoming the first UK prime minister to do so since 2018.

In a letter, the housing department confirmed that Housing Secretary Steve Reed, who is responsible for planning policy, had given permission for the development to go ahead, subject to certain conditions.

The site at Royal Mint Court is close to the City of London and fibre optic cables that carry vast quantities of highly sensitive data, sparking concerns they could be used by China to infiltrate the UK's financial system.

However, in its decision letter, the department said there was no suggestion the use of the site as an embassy would interfere with the cables.

It added that no bodies with responsibility for national security, including the Home Office and the Foreign Office, had raised concerns or objected to the proposal on the basis of the proximity of the cables.

In a joint letter to the home secretary and foreign secretary about the embassy plans, MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum and GCHQ's director Anne Keast-Butler said it was "not realistic to expect to be able wholly to eliminate each and every potential risk".

However, they added a "proportionate" package of national security mitigations had been developed for the site.

A government spokesperson said countries establishing embassies was a "normal part of international relations".

"National security is our first duty. Intelligence agencies have been involved throughout the process and an extensive range of measures have been developed to manage any risks," they added.

Opposition parties and some Labour MPs had called for the project to be blocked. Local residents also oppose the plans and are planning a legal challenge.

Conservative shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel said: "Keir Starmer has sold off our national security to the Chinese Communist Party with his shameful super embassy surrender."

Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said the decision would "amplify China's surveillance efforts here in the UK and endanger the security of our data - not to speak of the safety of the brave Hong Kongers on British soil".

He added that it was "categorically wrong" that the prime minister had "embraced these threats to further his flirtation with China".

Reform UK said the decision was "a serious threat to national security" and "a desperate attempt by the Labour government to cosy up to the Chinese Communist Party".

At 20,000 square metres, the embassy would be the biggest of its kind anywhere in Europe.

Approval for the London embassy has long been a priority for China's government, which bought the site for £255m in 2018.

The plans were initially rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022 over safety concerns, but when China resubmitted its application in 2024 the government took over the decision.

Meanwhile, the UK is waiting for its own £100m plan to redevelop the British embassy in Beijing to be approved by China's authorities.

Rejecting China's plans would have risked setting back diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Since winning power, Labour has sought closer trade ties with China, with Chancellor Rachel Reeves among several senior government figures to visit the country.

However, critics have argued the threat of spying by the Chinese state and its intimidation against dissidents abroad are reasons for a more cautious relationship.

Ahh the good old Two Party State and it's partial Civil Service.

Betraying the nation once again!

When the LibDem is actually talking sense....isn't that one of signs of the end of the world?

Well at least this time we're swapping the US for China.
Land of mobile euthanasia and cremation vans, that harvests 'criminals' organs....and what a lot of crime there is in China. So the rich party members can get a new liver, or lung...or who knows what.
Nevermind they're Experts you know!
Party++good

It's not like they might fantasise about humiliation of the UK.....having some beef with us over events in the past.....

Maybe France and Germany was too much to stomach?

Of courses not, they want us to rejoin. No need for democracy this time. Experts tell us!

But remember, it's 'efficient' and the line on the spreadsheet goes in the 'correct' direction.

In the land where euthanasia is coming Canadian style. Where your loved ones think you're passing away peacefully. As you drown in your own fluids in excruciating pain unable to move.

The land where we wouldn't test puberty blockers on animals, that would be cruel!
So our beloved government will test it on some children.

The land where Abortion is starting to look like it's a lifestyle thing. Some of numbers I've seen on that be really worrying.

The land where something like just 7% of reported crime reaches the stage of an arrest or summons. Not convictions.

Maybe China isn't so bad.....maybe we need the fentanyl!
Maybe we need the execution vans for the overcrowded prisons.

Maybe China might develope at our expense a 'game' to indoctrinate through fear, our children into obediently not questioning the new race and gender hierarchy.
At least with more competance that our people have displayed.
Who gave managed to create a new icon of the right and give examples of 'extremism' that includes peacefully protesting, questioning official narratives and behaving in the way you'd expect in participatory democracy. So Far Right!

Nevermind, we'll probably hit the stage where we seek help from China to protect us from the US and sell Parliament. I wouldn't want to guess where we'll be by the end of this year.

Gods the comedy just keeps coming in the 2020's!

No it gets better, we're running down our chemicals industry.
For the environment!
So we will import by dirty diesel powered ship something made in a country with no environmental standards.
For the environment!

Yes the jokes just keeps coming only the jokes be on us.