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EN
Much ado about a Chinese 'mega-embassy' in London
['Robert Skidelsky', 'Robert Skidelsky Is A British Political Economist', 'Historian', 'Author', 'Crossbench Life Peer In The House Of Lords. He Is Best Known For His Award Winning Three-Volume Biography Of John Maynard Keynes', 'Is A Fellow Of The British Academy', 'Emeritus Professor Of Political Economy At The University Of Warwick.', 'Andrew Earvolino', 'Patrick Sullivan', 'Jack Hunter']
Responsible Statecraft
The recent uproar over plans for a vast new Chinese embassy in London is not merely a planning dispute.
The ‘mega-embassy’ spectacle Nothing illustrates Britain’s China panic more vividly than the drama over the proposed Chinese “mega-embassy” at Royal Mint Court.
With large numbers of Chinese students contributing substantially to the finances of British higher education, concerns have been raised that Beijing’s leverage may chill research — or, worse, that many students are Chinese spies.
MPs have been forbidden to download TikTok on their parliamentary devices — and thus to access Chinese views — due to fears of data harvesting, surveillance, and potential exploitation by the Chinese state.
The result is a classic feedback loop: politicians issue dire warnings that become headlines; headlines create pressure for stronger gestures; gestures become further stories of a nation “standing up” to China.