cross-posted from: https://scribe.disroot.org/post/3988737
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China is pushing forward with designs for its new diplomatic outpost at Royal Mint Court, a large plot in the heart of London, near Tower Bridge and the Tower of London. The imposing building, which currently lies empty, was once home to the facility that manufactured Britain’s coinage.
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If the proposal is greenlighted by UK authorities, China has plans to invest several hundred million dollars to transform the building, on the historic parcel it purchased in 2018 for the not-so-shabby price of 280 million pounds.
But China’s plans have raised espionage fears, rattled locals in the area, who are nervous for their personal security, and come at a time when Beijing has issued bounties for Hong Kongers in the UK.
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After much government controversy, Angela Rayner, the UK’s deputy prime minister and housing secretary, is expected to make a final decision on whether to green-light the controversial plans by September 9th.
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The Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association, which represents around 300 people living in nearby buildings and has fought against the Chinese plan for years, said they fear how China could exercise its powers as landlord once the embassy is built next door.
China has previously been accused of using its outposts, in effect, as overseas police stations to monitor Chinese citizens abroad and coerce them to return home.
One such incident occurred in the UK in October 2022, when a Hong Kong pro-democracy protester was dragged into the grounds of a Chinese consulate in Manchester and beaten, in events captured on camera
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Immediately after, China removed six diplomats from Britain whom the police wanted to question in connection with the alleged beating.
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Was there much criticism before it was built? Doesn’t seem like it. I doubt that you would absolutely need an embassy, at least such a big and advanced one, for military purposes, not to mention the fact that depending on the US is and always was stupid to begin with. So why shouldn’t China be allowed the same? “Well, because they’re not our allies.” Okay sure, that brings us back to square one. Either be against both, or neither. Anything else is hypocritical.
@Spectrism@feddit.org
Did any ambassador except the Chinese one ever drag down a protester and beat them?
The US and China are not equivalent in this. The UK is not neutral ground like Brazil or India where I agree that both need to be equally represented as opposite poles to balance.
You’re right, they’re not. The US is much worse in this regard (in fact, in many other regards as well), which is exactly what annoys me in this debate. And if you meant that “the US are allies, China is not”, then I’m sorry to tell you, but I don’t give a flying fuck about the concept of allies. I’m tired of everybody thinking only in allies vs. enemies / us vs. them. Having the US as an ally is not some unchangeable natural law or an excuse for them doing the same, or in this case even worse shit. I’m not even asking the UK to be neutral, just be consistent in your world view and act accordingly.