White House warns UK not to allow Chinese embassy near City: #The_Times

The White House has reportedly warned Downing Street against allowing a Chinese embassy to be built near sensitive London financial centers, according to UK media. A Chinese expert said that the warn appears more like an emotional response to the recent growing China-UK and even China-European ties, noting that as China and the US are currently in a critical period of trade negotiations, it is hoped that the US side will demonstrate sincerity in the talks.

China has been trying to redevelop former Royal Mint buildings near the Tower of London since it bought the site in 2018, the Times said.

This project, however, faced setbacks in subsequent years due to anti-China forces manipulating public opinion in the UK.

As China-UK engagement progresses, a shift in the situation has now emerged.

Within a fortnight of British Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves returning from an official visit to China this year, both Scotland Yard and Tower Hamlets council dropped their objections to the project, according to the Times.

However, so-called fresh security concerns have been raised about the complex at Royal Mint Court because of its proximity to a sensitive hub of critical communication cables that could be susceptible to attack, according to UK media.

A senior US official was quoted as claiming that "the US is deeply concerned about providing China with potential access to the sensitive communications of one of our closest allies," per Times.

US president Donald Trump has previously urged Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer to deny permission for the embassy and the issue has been raised in the trade negotiations, per the Times.

Britain is locked in talks with the US about how to implement the trade deal that was signed last month. They have until July 9 to agree to a deal to avoid UK steel producers from being hit with a new 50 percent import tariffs, the Times reported.

Asked what impact approving the super embassy would have on the US trade deal, the White House official appeared to issue a veiled threat. The UK media reported that "The US expects that all decisions will be taken with national security interests of both US and UK in mind and after thorough mitigation as recommended and approved by counterintelligence professionals."

Diplomats claimed that the Trump administration would have reservations about sharing intelligence with the UK if the embassy opened, according to the report. Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), said that "The Chinese mega-embassy has become a flashpoint in UK-US trade talks," the Times said.

From the perspective of the case itself and international relations norms, the development of China-UK relations - including the China's choice of locations for its embassy and consulate in the UK - has nothing to do with the US, Liang Huaixin, an expert in international relations from the University of International Business and Economics, told the Global Times on Sunday.

The US' warning may stem from its association with its own past actions, as there have been previous cases on the part of the US in this regard, Liang added.

He also said that as a pivotal nation in the global system, Britain possesses the wisdom and capability to advance foreign relations while safeguarding its security.

At the invitation of the UK government, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council He Lifeng will visit the UK from June 8 to 13, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson announced Saturday.

While in the UK, he will hold the first meeting of the China-US economic and trade consultation mechanism with the US side, the spokesperson said.

With imminent meeting in London, Washington is expected to demonstrate sincerity, and like China, make positive efforts to ensure the smooth progress of the meeting, Liang said.

The US should not make baseless moves or attempt to drag Britain into the risky game that it has fantasized about, the expert added.

Host countries have the international obligation to support and facilitate the building of the premises of diplomatic missions, and both China and the UK have the need to build a new embassy in each other's capital, and the two sides should provide facilitation to each other, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the UK said in August 2024, responding to reports regarding resubmitting planning application for the new embassy project.