The British foreign and home secretaries have intervened in China's planning application for a large new embassy in London, expressing their support while outlining conditions for the proposed site.
David Lammy and Yvette Cooper stressed "the importance of countries having functioning diplomatic premises in each other's capitals" in a joint letter to the UK's Planning Inspectorate on Tuesday.
The intervention comes after Rachel Reeves visited Beijing and Shanghai last week to promote economic ties, the first time a British chancellor has visited mainland China since 2017. Lamy visited China last year.
In their letter, Lammy and Cooper revealed that the Metropolitan Police had "withdrawn its objections to Beijing's proposal to build a diplomatic building at the Royal Mint near the edge of the City of London".
"Overall, Metropolitan Police's public order experts are satisfied that there will be sufficient space for future protests and that there will be no significant impact on the adjacent road network," two senior cabinet ministers told the Financial Times. stated in the letter.
But ministers also asked China to agree to change "a small part of the design" and give up diplomatic recognition of seven other London sites.
They said Housing Secretary Angela Rayner, who will decide whether the embassy is approved, "should not make a decision on this application until a clear plan has been agreed on consolidating Chinese diplomatic premises".
The Chinese government has highlighted its desire to build a new embassy in discussions with London, which would be China's largest diplomatic mission in Europe, after its first attempt to obtain planning permission in 2022 was blocked by local councils.
After Beijing launched its new application last summer, Chinese President Xi Jinping raised the matter directly with British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. Tower Hamlets local authority had previously refused to approve the proposal due to safety reasons and the impact on local residents.
The new building covers an area of more than 20,000 square meters, far exceeding the size of the Chinese Embassy in Marylebone, which covers an area of 830 square meters.
In their letter, Lammy and Cooper acknowledged that the Metropolitan Police had "previously expressed concerns about the site's ability to accommodate protests" and that "opinions remain divided on where protests are most likely to gather."
The letter calls for plans to have "unregulated public access" to the Cistercian site within the complex to be scrapped, arguing that the site's diplomatic status could delay authorities' response to security incidents or health emergencies. Situation requires permission to enter.
Instead, Lamy and Cooper said strict borders would need to be established in the area, with "occasional control of public access" by the Chinese embassy in consultation with relevant British authorities.
The Financial Times revealed in October last year that Rayner had proposed the decision to take it away from Tower Hamlets council, and last month the Chinese state-owned enterprise submitted its support to the government for the application .
Rayner will decide whether to approve the embassy after receiving advice from planning inspectors. Britain is also seeking to rebuild its embassy in China, which would require approval from Beijing.
Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), said: “The mask has come off and it is now painfully clear that the government is desperate to approve China’s application amid pressure from Beijing.
“National security concerns alone should be enough to stop this, but the unanimous will of local councils and residents is also important.”
The British Labor government said it was adopting a "three secrets" approach to Beijing, vowing to cooperate on global issues such as climate and health, challenge issues such as human rights, and compete when appropriate.
A UK government spokesman said: "National security is the government's primary responsibility. It has been our core priority throughout this process.
“That is why the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Home Office have submitted written submissions to reflect these considerations and point out the importance of all countries having functioning diplomatic premises in each other’s capitals.”
The Metropolitan Police and the Chinese Embassy in London did not immediately respond to requests for comment.