London defeats Beijing and bans the construction of a new embassy

Last Thursday (1) British regional authorities voted against granting a mandate to China to build the new headquarters of its embassy in London. The sudden decision highlights the moment of diplomatic tension between the two countries and puts a government on hold United kingdomwhich has the ability to reverse the decision.

Tower Hamlets City Council development officials cited concerns about security and the impact on tourism, traffic police and the area’s heritage. Thus, they voted unanimously against the Beijing project, which would use the former Royal Mint building.

The decision caused surprise because the architect in charge had previously said that the project would be approved without problems. “Officials have recommended that planning permission be granted and building approval is listed,” David Chipperfield said Wednesday, the day before the vote, according to the network. CNN🇧🇷

In the hours following the engineer’s speech, the neighborhood council met and announced the veto. The committee decided to reject the application due to concerns about the impact on the safety of residents, tourists, property, police resources and the crowded nature of the area. “The application will now be referred to the Lord Mayor of London before a final decision is made,” a spokesman for the authority said.

Now, the problem lies in the lap of the British government, which has the power to override its veto. If she chooses to keep the decision, she tends to actually do more damage troubled relationship with Beijing🇧🇷

If approved, the renovations would make China’s embassy the largest in London, as well as China’s largest diplomatic facility in the world. The monitoring system for the facilities alone would have cost about US$245,000 (R$1.28 million).

The plans include not only the embassy itself, but also an area designated for cultural exchange and space to house hundreds of staff, including dormitories. It is a building that Beijing bought in 2018 for about US$300 million (R$1.5 billion) and is about ten times the size of the current embassy in the city.

Minorities satisfied

The network said the decision to veto the project was welcomed by groups opposed to China Free Radio Asia (RFA). Simon Cheng, who represents an organization for Hong Kong citizens in London, referred to the recent incident involving one of his colleagues abuse by employees From the Chinese Consulate in Manchester.

The plan to move the Chinese embassy to the Royal Mint was part of an elaborate plan to control and monitor its citizens Hong KongHe said he, who worked for British diplomacy in Hong Kong, claims he was arrested and tortured during pro-democracy protests in the territory in 2019.

Rahima Mahmoud, a human rights activist Uighurs, an ethnic minority group suffering from violent repression by Beijing, also celebrated the decision. He said, “Just because you have a lot of money doesn’t mean you can do anything.” “Particularly in the United Kingdom, a country where human rights are respected and where people’s voices, wishes and demands are taken seriously.”

On the other hand, the decision was challenged by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which expressed itself through an official spokesperson. “The new building of the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom was planned and approved on the basis of compliance with local laws and regulations regarding building planning,” the ministry said in a statement.

Beijing claims the new embassy will allow the Chinese government to centralize administrative operations and services provided to its citizens in one place. Says an article published in Global Timesa nationalist tabloid linked to the Chinese Communist Party.