New Chinese Embassy in UK Risks Becoming Espionage Hub for Europe: Analysts

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer defended the move as a pragmatic and sensible diplomatic step.
New Chinese Embassy in UK Risks Becoming Espionage Hub for Europe: Analysts
Protesters outside a proposed site for a new Chinese Embassy on in London on Jan. 17, 2026. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images
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Britain’s controversial decision to authorize the Chinese mega-embassy risks embedding a hostile espionage hub in the capital while failing to address the regime’s systemic threat to the nation, observers say.

The move, formally approved on Jan. 20, overturned a previous rejection of the construction plan, which faced widespread outcry over national security risks.
Jarvis Lim
Jarvis Lim
Author
Jarvis Lim is a Taiwan-based writer focusing on human rights, U.S.–China relations, China's economic and political influence in Southeast Asia, and cross-strait relations.