Security experts warn the Trump presidency could review how it shares intelligence with the UK over concerns about the proposed Chinese 'super embassy'
Angela Rayner will decide within months whether to allow China to open a “super embassy” in London, after Xi Jinping personally lobbied Sir Keir Starmer on the subject Security experts warn the Trump presidency could review how it shares intelligence with the UK over concerns about the proposed Chinese"super embassy"
Starmer revealed last month that Xi Jinping had lobbied him personally, while discussing the issue with the Chinese President at a G20 summit in Rio last month. Giving the go-ahead would “raise a lot of questions” about “Britain’s ability to protect the secrets that the US government is entrusting the UK government with,” he argued.
He added: “The UK plays a very special role through the Five Eyes partnership, and the bilateral relationship is also very important and very strong. This would cause a lot of concern in Washington about Britain’s reliability as an intelligence partner.” Sir Mark Lyall Grant, who served as national security adviser for both David Cameron and Theresa May, sought to dampen concerns. “Size of embassy does not directly equate to increased threat,” he said.
Singleton, now a China expert at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies research institute, added: “Intelligence agencies are likely to assess the implications for national and allied security carefully… If the UK moves forward, the US might explore mitigative measures – publicly or privately.” A former parliamentary researcher will go on trial next year accused of spying for China. Christopher Cash has been charged under the Official Secrets Act. He and another man, Christopher Berry, have bothprincipal intelligence and geopolitical challenge” vast quantities of information abroad using AI. “The Chinese authorities are not hugely troubled by questions of personal privacy, or individual data security,” he said in July. “They’re focused on controlling information.
“Last time around, nobody was in favour,” said Duncan Smith. “Suddenly they’ve got a whole load of people this time. They’re not residents, they’re just people that have been drummed up to write in support of the application.” A former top MI6 officer, who wished to remain anonymous, acknowledged that China’s current embassy in Marylebone is “completely not fit for purpose and they do need new premises”.
The ex-spy also questioned the Chinese motives of wanting such a big embassy in London rather than in Brussels or Berlin. “How much more diplomatic business is there for them to do with the British government than there is with the European Union?”
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