UK Deputy PM Asks China to Explain Redacted Embassy Plans

story

+1

AUG 7

Above: U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner in Runcorn, England in April 2025. Image copyright: Ryan Jenkinson/Getty Images

story last updated AUG 8

The Spin

Anti-China narrative

China's mega embassy plan is deeply alarming. The secretive basement plans with redacted details suggest the intended purpose of surveilling and interrogating dissidents. The U.K. would never have given Stalin such a fortress in 1980, so why would it hand one to Xi's aggressive regime? Such a move would only threaten British and Western security and must be rejected at all costs.

Parliament The Telegraph

Pro-China narrative

China's embassy plans are entirely standard diplomatic practice under international law, and feature redacted areas for use when handling classified information. These security concerns are nothing more than politically motivated attempts to fuel anti-China sentiment. The U.K.'s paranoia stems from its own espionage activity and is not an honest reflection of Chinese intent.

Global Times China