The proposed “super embassy” in London in China would require additional police officers to deal with massive protests involving thousands of people, metropolitan police said before a decision by ministers.
Despite withdrawing official objections to the proposal, the Met “maintains concerns” that large-scale protests from more than 500 people outside the embassy have blocked traffic and “needs additional police resources,” Deputy Vice Chairman John Sabel said.
In a letter sent to the Home Office earlier this month with former conservative leader Ian Duncan Smith, Sabel said he continues to be concerned about the Met’s impact on the embassy in areas near Tower Bridge.
Two major protests were held at the proposed embassies in February and March. Savell said these involve between 3,000 and 5,000 people, and they believe that more than 500 units will gather safely at the front of the site. Another demonstration will be held in early May.
China wants to build a new embassy that will cover 20,000 square meters of land at Royal Mint Court, a Grade II registered complex of the 18th century. The Tower Hamlets Council rejected the proposal in December 2022, but China resubmitted them last summer shortly after Labour came to power.
Ministers removed the decision from the council’s hands and held local investigations. The final decision depends on Angela Rayner, the secretary of housing, community and local governments.
In December, the Met said if more than 100 people gather on the scene, they would spread to the roads, threaten public safety and danger, causing chaos throughout the capital.
However, the following month, the forces said they had re-examined the three-year-old technical documents commissioned and paid by China. The document claims that up to 2,000 protesters can be safely housed around the site.
The Met’s decision to withdraw the formal objection paved the way for the proposal to be approved. The Tower Hamlets Council revised its opposition in December based on police evidence, but has since said that the withdrawal of Met’s objection means that it can no longer rely on that evidence.
In a local investigation in February, lawyers representing residents alleged that the pastor “trying to influence Met” in support of the proposal.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Interior Secretary Yvette Cooper have publicly made their support for the embassy plan. In a joint letter in January, they emphasized “the importance of the nation where diplomats function in each other’s capitals.”
The two ministers wrote that the Met has enough space for demonstrations to be “content,” but admitted that “there remains a difference in opinion about where protesters are likely to gather.”
Getting green light to build an embassy has become a diplomatic priority for China as the UK government pursues close ties with the country.
Skip past newsletter promotions
Our morning email breaks down the important stories of the day and tells us what’s going on and why it matters
Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising, and content funded by external parties. For more information, please refer to our Privacy Policy. We use Google Recaptcha to protect our website and the application of Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
After the newsletter promotion
Savell’s letter to Duncan Smith came after a meeting with a member of Congress from China (IPAC) who is critical of the embassy proposal and the campaign for a more severe stance on Beijing.
Savell writes that the road junction adjacent to Royal Mint Court “requires additional police resources for larger gatherings to balance the safety of assembly/protest and traffic safe free flow safety, as it has been out of two recent mass protests.”
Duncan Smith asked the minister to be more forceful to let the concerns go, and said he would respond to the Met. “If the national security and interference discussion is not sufficient, it is probably the fact that the Tower Bridge junctions will be closed regularly and police will be drafted from all over London to ensure that security will help the government do the right thing and reject this application,” he said.
Savell’s letter stated that Met is “still fair to the proposed developments other than the impact on policing.”
“They’re also a part of the work they’re working on,” said Blair McDougal, a Labour MP and member of the Foreign Affairs Committee. “The Met’s assessment is clear. There is insufficient space to protest outside the royal Mint courts. It not only reduces the safety of protesters, but also requires significant policing resources, leading to massive road destruction.
“A huge sum is already wasting massive protests on the site. It’s not safe, there’s no space. This false embassy permission will last until it’s denied,” said Luke de Palford, executive director of IPAC.
