China wants a “good ambassador” in the heart of London. Critics fear it could be the Hub of the Intel circle.

The United Kingdom also delayed its decision last week on the green light for China’s new, large embassy in the heart of London. It would not only be China’s largest embassy in Europe, but also one of the largest in the world.

Beijing’s hopes, however, remain hanging in a frustrated limbo after three delays, six embassy protests and Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week calling China “a country that poses national security threats to the United Kingdom.” His Minister of Defense also spoke of “the seriousness of the implications for national security.”

Critics fear that the so-called “Super Embassy” can serve as a super hub for gathering intelligence – physically and economically, it can affect not only the united kingdom, but also the continent.

“There are important fiber optic cables that are run under the site or very close to the site, which carry almost large amounts of important and important information,” the previous position of British technology.

NETLONOVE has called on the UK government to reject China’s diplomatic ambitions to wire sensitive financial and commercial data to London.

“Having a Chinese embassy sitting on those cables, which can be attacked a lot, is a big problem,” he added.

With a large presence in the body, Beijing could also use more Chinese workers, who will have the freedom of movement allowed by their visas.

“If it has a very large embassy, ​​there can be a very large number, and then they go to third countries, especially on vacation or whatever, or to do things outside the country they are approved for,” said Tlanlove.

“They’re intended to be standard spokesmen, standard sticklers, basically trained intelligence workers,” he said.

Beijing could also facilitate targeted communications from the Defense and Defense Ministries using large embassy-based facilities, said Nigel Inkster, the former director of MI6, who is now a cyber and China adviser at the Center for International and Strategic Studies.

“Not all programs, not all government programs use the Internet,” Innkster said. “The most sensitive information is encrypted. In other words, it continues programs that do not connect to the public Internet, so if you’re going to try and get close to where it’s being produced.”

“Would China like to have such information?” he added. “Yes, because China’s desire to get data from other countries is limitless. They are completely wrong about what foreign data they collect.”

The proposed Embassy site is in the heart of London

British Pushback also comes from history and pride. The Chinese site at the Chinese Embassy overlooks the iconic tower of London and the shard. It is the former home of the royal mint, minted with money engraved with the king’s face as a physical manifestation of the crown’s authority.

In 2018, the government sold the grounds to Beijing for about $350 million, placing more than 5 acres of land to become a physical stronghold of China’s power in the West.

“One of the reasons I’m against it – maybe the main reason – is the sign of allowing the Chinese Communist government to have a prominent position on the outskirts of the city in such a prominent building,” Treenlove said. “It sends completely wrong signals.”

Taking up an entire city block and occupying five acres, the architectural rendering shows China’s new embassy in Washington, DC almost three times its current embassy in London about 10 times. It took our CBS News crew over nine minutes to walk the border.

Schematics show plans for a cultural center and housing more than 200 Embassy staff – not typical of Western government embassies but employed by other mandated governments including Russia, North Korea and Cuba to maintain close staff.

CBS News got a first-hand look at the future of squatting — buildings that sit on land owned by the Chinese government. They are currently empty.

Mark Nygate, a 28-year resident near the London entrance of Tower Hamlets, gave CBS News a tour of his building and the indoor parking lot that warms the royals. A simple, low wooden fence separates the two.

“I call it a little wooden fence in China,” Jokazingly said.

He and his neighbors fear that the Chinese government will eventually remove them.

“The idea is that at some point they will want to make this a difficult border for them, to make their workers safe,” he said. “They could try to buy us.”

Fear from the exiles and the Chinese government

Thousands of anti-embassy protesters, anti-China protesters and hostage-takers marched in central London last weekend, fresh from the latest Starmer decision. Many held large flags showing support for Hong Kong, Taiwan and Tibet.

“I was under the impression that the UK government was ready to sell us out,” the Tenzin campaign said

“China is an enemy of democracy,” said Carmen Lau, a former Pro-Democy Pro-Democy who now lives in exile in the UK “you just wouldn’t open the door to the heart of your capital.”

Since fleeing Hong Kong after the failed pro-democracy protests of 2019, Beijing has been watching lau in London, he says, looking to curb anti-China voices abroad.

“Follow me, through the streets of London,” he said. “Terrorists use Chinese or Asian faces that people should follow – instead they just post something to the public.”

Lau said his neighbors received a “Wanted” letter, calling them to enter the Chinese Embassy, ​​so that the reward is equal to $125,000.

“I was very afraid to talk to them after these incidents happened. Because, you know, who knows who will be tempted by the rewards,” she said.

Several of Hong Kong’s other democratic leaders have similar things with similar heads. The UK has become home to a large Hong Kong Diaspora community of around 200,000 who fled in the last five years.

London is looking for a new ambassador, too

The UK government delayed its final decision on the Chinese embassy proposal on Jan. 20.

Prime Minister Starmer proposed a trip to Beijing nine days later. That will mark the first time a British Prime Minister has visited China since 2018, before the Covil-19 pandemic.

The government hopes that China will accept its new embassy in Beijing.

Starmer’s visit may depend on Beijing getting what it wants from London first.