**Labour MPs Urge Minister to Reject Chinese Mega Embassy in London**
As the deadline looms for a decision on China's plans to build a massive embassy in London, a group of Labour MPs has written to Communities Secretary Steve Reed urging him to reject the proposal.
The nine MPs, who claim to represent "the breadth and depth" of their party, express concerns over security risks associated with the site, including espionage cases, interference activities, and the issuing of bounties against UK-based Hong Kongers. They warn that the embassy would be used to "step up intimidation" against dissidents.
The proposed site, Royal Mint Court, is situated opposite the Tower of London and was once home to the Royal Mint. It would be the largest embassy in Europe, sparking concerns among locals who live in adjacent flats and are gearing up to challenge the decision if it is approved.
Among the signatories is Sarah Champion, a member of parliament's Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy, who has previously had Chinese spyware found on her parliamentary computer. "I'm hugely concerned by the level and range of security risks raised over the embassy," she told the BBC. "I'm not reassured that they're being taken seriously."
Other Labour MPs, including Emily Darlington, James Naish, and Mark Sewards, have spoken out in the past about transnational repression by China, targeting critics abroad, including those from Hong Kong who have sought sanctuary in the UK. They argue that an embassy of this size would be used to "step up intimidation" against dissidents.
Phil Brickell, MP for Bolton West, Marie Rimmer, MP for St Helens South and Whiston, and Alex Sobel, MP for Leeds Central and Headingley, have also signed the letter. They have previously raised concerns about Jimmy Lai, a British citizen and former Hong Kong newspaper tycoon who is facing a possible life sentence under China's security law.
Sobel told the BBC that his concerns centered on national security and China's ability to use the embassy site to "hack or disrupt" communications to the City of London. He added that the UK should not approve the plan until Lai is released and allowed to return to the UK.
The letter was organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a group that campaigns against what it sees as threats posed by China. While Downing Street has maintained that approving the new London embassy would bring security advantages for the UK, the Labour MPs argue that this would not outweigh the risks associated with the site.
The UK is also waiting for China's approval on its own £100m plan to redevelop the British Embassy in Beijing. However, a letter obtained by IPAC from Boris Johnson, then foreign secretary, suggests that he welcomed China's investment at Royal Mint Court and saw it as an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations.
Mark Nygate, of the Royal Mint Court Residents' Association, warned that residents would challenge any decision to grant planning permission. "If the government grants the application," he said, "we will plan to challenge."
**Key Facts:**
* The proposed embassy site is situated opposite the Tower of London and was once home to the Royal Mint. * China's planned embassy in London would be the largest in Europe. * Labour MPs have expressed concerns over security risks associated with the site, including espionage cases and interference activities. * Residents living adjacent to the site are planning to challenge any decision to grant planning permission.