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Tower Bridge in London: The new Chinese embassy is to be built not far from the landmark
Photo: Han Yan / imago images / Xinhua
A dispute over the construction of the new Chinese embassy in London threatens to further sour relations between Beijing and the United Kingdom: the capital's Tower Hamlets surprisingly rejected a proposal for the building.
According to media reports, the responsible district council unanimously rejected the Chinese plans to rebuild the approximately two-hectare area in central London.
Residents in the district had previously spoken out against the major project.
Among other things, they had claimed that the new embassy in the area could often result in protests.
According to the Guardian, the Chinese embassy complex should actually become the largest representation of a country in Great Britain.
The refusal apparently came as a surprise.
The responsible architect had recently told CNN that the plans correspond to the development plan for the area and that the building permit would have to be obtained after the authorities had checked it.
Concerns about the safety of residents and tourists
A member of the local district council told CNN that concerns about the safety of residents and tourists and the flow of traffic around the structure led to the rejection.
The plans would now be passed to the Mayor of London before a final decision was made.
According to the Guardian, residents were relieved about the district decision.
According to CNN, the British government could also push through the construction against the district's decision.
Manchester incident strains relationships
Diplomatic relations between China and Great Britain are currently strained anyway.
In October, staff at the Chinese consulate in Manchester dragged a pro-democracy protester onto the embassy's premises and beat him.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak recently described China as a challenge to his country's "values and interests" and said the "golden era" with China was over.
According to CNN, China had bought the area in question, the so-called Royal Mint Court, in the immediate vicinity of Tower Bridge and the Tower of London in 2018 for around $312 million.
In addition to the new embassy, accommodation for hundreds of employees and event rooms were to be built on the site.
The immediate vicinity of the area is also to be extensively video-monitored.
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