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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Only we’re allowed to suppress freedom of dissent in the UK!
I understand their concern, but if usa can have their “super embassy,” then why shouldn’t china have their own
China is not the UK’s ally, so they should not act like they are. Maybe Moscow or Pyongyang will let the build a mega-embassy.
So if they’re allies, it’s fine to spy? You’re kinda proving the point I made earlier.
And why so desperate that you have to use your other accounts to manipulate the votes in this thread? :)
Just no more mega-embassies. That’s all, everyone knows what it means, it’s bad enough when a friend does it.
That I can agree with. The question remains though: Why isn’t there as much outrage over the US embassy? The criticism of anything related to China (while of course sometimes justified) often seems totally disproportionate, considering what the US or other states are doing. China isn’t even close to being as known for their spying as the US/Five Eyes are with ECHELON and whatnot.
Because it’s already built and the UK depends on the US militarily. China should not be given a chance to do the same.
PS: but it’s very easy, China can ask Moscow to build one there and I’m sure they’ll agree.
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.
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.
With trump in the office, usa is ally to no one
So? The only person talking about the USA is you.
I just pointing out the duplicity and so what if Im the only one speaking about it, does this make it less of an issue
What duplicity? If you are not my ally, why should I let you do whatever you want on my turf? It makes no sense. You just sound like a 5-year-old trying to “it’s not fair” guilt people into allowing you to build another mega-embassy, which you already admitted is a bad thing for an ally to do, so it will be worse for an adversary.
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
[Exiled Chinese pro-democracy activist Carmen Lau] argues that the UK should not allow China’s “authoritarian regime” to have its new embassy in such a symbolic location. One of her fears is that China, with such a huge embassy, could harass political opponents and could even hold them in the building.
Even the UK Socialist Workers association says that “the Chinese state is no alternative to Western imperialism.”
There have been more reasons and ‘incidents’ regarding Chinese transnational repression, it’s easy to find.
Im just saying, usa is no better that china
Espionage is only acceptable when the Five Eyes do it. /s
In this case it seems to be the true, unfortunately
