A former Tory cabinet minister has warned that allowing a massive Chinese embassy in London would be a 'grave mistake', citing concerns about state power and human rights. Over 5,000 people marched in protest against the proposed 700,000 square foot mega hub.
A former Tory cabinet minister has warned that allowing a massive Chinese embassy in London would be a 'grave mistake', citing concerns about state power and human rights. Tom Tugendhat , the former security minister, expressed his opposition to the proposed 700,000 square feet mega hub, which would be the largest foreign embassy in Britain. He argued that the development is primarily about 'state power' and 'completely ignores human rights'.
Tugendhat believes that approving the controversial project would demonstrate that the government 'hasn't learnt the lessons of the last decade'. Speaking at a protest against the proposed site at Royal Mint Court, Tugendhat stated, 'It wouldn't just be a turning point. It would be a grave mistake. 'It would be a very clear statement that our Government had chosen the wrong side and not the side that was for the defence and protection of the British people and our economic future.'\He critiqued the government's optimism about China, saying, 'The reality is some people made decisions in 2010, 2013, you can understand at the time. You can see the hopefulness and the optimism with which they approached it. 'To have that same optimism in 2025? It's not optimism anymore, that's just a wilful ignorance.' The protest, attended by Conservative MP Sir Iain Duncan Smith and former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, drew over 5,000 demonstrators who marched against the planned complex, which would dwarf the US facility in Nine Elms and be more than three times the size of the MI6 building. Local councillors had unanimously rejected plans to convert the historic site into the embassy in December, but the application was subsequently called in following supportive interventions by cabinet ministers Yvette Cooper and David Lammy. This marks the second attempt by Beijing to secure permission for the development on land acquired for £255 million in 2018.\Tugendhat warned, 'we know when the Chinese Communist Party puts up walls, what goes on inside them is never in Britain's interest'. He addressed the crowd, saying, 'We know that when the Chinese Communist Party closes doors the only thing they trap is freedom. 'And we know because many of you have lived it - many of you who are courageous Hong Kongers, courageous Tibetans and Uighurs, who have explained your testimony a thousand times, have been extremely clear - that when the Chinese Communist Party brings its presence, fear comes close behind.' Protesters waved placards featuring Winnie-the-Pooh, an image banned in China, alongside flags that read 'Free Hong Kong - revolution now'. One sign read 'Say no to China's transnational oppression' and another warned 'CCP is watching you, Stop the mega embassy
CHINA EMBASSY LONDON PROTEST TOM TUGENDHAT SECURITY HUMAN RIGHTS UK POLITICS
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