The Labour government has been urged to shut down China’s application for its new embassy at the Royal Mint Court site amid fears the country poses a threat to UK national security.
Senior Tory MPs Alicia Kearns and Tom Tugendhat, who allege they were spied on by China, called on the government to block an application for a new “mega” embassy near the Tower of London.
In a letter to Keir Starmer, they urge the government to put China in the top tier of the Foreign Influence Registration Scheme, putting the country on a par with Russia and Iran.
“Failing to prosecute two men charged with spying for China demonstrates worrying levels of complacency.”
“You’ve repeatedly stated your disappointment that this prosecution did not proceed. You now have the opportunity to do what’s necessary to protect this country,” they added.
Late last week, the government delayed its decision on the approval of a planning application for the new embassy until 10 December, prompting a furious response from Chinese authorities claiming Starmer would face “consequences”.
The letter sent by Kearns and Tugendhat on Sunday came as the government faced further scrutiny over its alleged role in the collapse of the Crown Prosecution Service’s (CPS) case against Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry. Both deny all allegations.
Chinese embassy ‘assurances’ under question
The latest turn of events over China’s relationship with the UK follows Starmer’s decision to release witness statements stating China was a “threat”, intensifying a diplomatic row that has raised alarm bells in the US and across security services at home.
On Sunday, further questions were raised in The Sunday Times over a September meeting that preceded the official collapse of the case.
The deputy national security adviser Matthew Collins, a senior civil servant, reportedly believed the decision not not provide more evidence to the CPS citing China’s “ongoing” threat was “political”.
Two of his three witness statements included a reference to Labour’s current approach to China, which ministers termed as showing “broader context” and were not related to charges for alleged offences committed between 2021 and 2023.
During a briefing on Monday, a Number 10 spokesman insisted that there was no political intervention in evidence and that the CPS’ decision to drop spy charges against Cash and Berry was independent.
The spokesman also appeared to contradict a statement issued by China suggesting that the UK had given officials in Beijing an assurance that the new embassy would be approved.
The Chinese statement last week said the UK should “immediately fulfil its obligations and honour its commitments otherwise the British side shall bear all consequences”.
A Number 10 spokesman said “no such assurance could have been given” as the process was “quasi judicial” and “independent of the rest of government”.