December 1, 2022
2 mins read

Residents seek King’s intervention as China plans an embassy in London

Beijing bought the site in 2018, and now plans to invest several hundreds of millions of dollars transforming it into its new embassy in the United Kingdom…reports Asian Lite News

Residents of an apartment complex that sits on a historic parcel of land opposite the Tower of London want Britain’s King Charles to buy it back, claiming that its current owner, China, will turn it into a hub for shadowy diplomatic activity, according to a media report.

The British monarchy sold Royal Mint Court, a 5.4-acre plot that was once home to the facility that manufactured Britain’s coinage, to a property company in 2010, CNN reported.

The local council, Tower Hamlets, is due on Thursday to decide on proposals for the site, which consists largely of decommissioned offices and a grand, 19th century building constructed for the Royal Mint. If the plans drawn up by architect David Chipperfield are approved, the site will become one of China’s largest diplomatic missions in the world, equipped with lodgings for hundreds of staff, a cultural exchange and a business centre, CNN reported.

But Royal Mint Court contains something of a historical anomaly. When it still owned the land about 30 years ago, the Crown Estate, which manages the British monarchy’s non-private property interests, built a set of low-rise apartments on part of the site as part of a government scheme to provide homes for “key workers” such as police officers and nurses. Queen Elizabeth II was pictured opening the estate in 1989.

Owners of the new apartments were granted a 126-year lease over the land a common practice in British property law where residents own the bricks and mortar of their property but another entity, a freeholder, owns the ground on which it is built.

China has been accused of using its diplomatic outposts, loosely affiliated community associations, in effect, as overseas police stations to monitor Chinese citizens abroad and coerce them to return home. British lawmakers have expressed concerns over reports of three such premises in the UK.

“I fear a diplomatic incident will occur because the powers available to the Chinese government are far reaching and excessive,” wrote David Lake, chairman of the residents’ group, in a letter to King Charles, CNN reported.

ALSO READ-Truss thanks Saudi Crown Prince

Previous Story

Maldivian FM praises friendship with India

Next Story

US special envoy for Afghanistan due in India

Latest from -Top News

Modi Calls T&T PM ‘Daughter of Bihar’

In Trinidad and Tobago, PM Modi hailed Bihar’s cultural legacy and called PM Kamla Persad-Bissessar a ‘daughter of Bihar’ in honour of her ancestral roots…reports Asian Lite News ddressing the Indian community

Trump Hails ‘Golden Age’ with New Bill

House Republicans voted on Thursday afternoon to approve Trump’s massive package of tax and federal spending cuts and funding boosts for the Pentagon and border security…reports Asian Lite News US President Donald

Trinidad PM to Modi: We Salute You

Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister Kamala Persad Bissessar delivered glowing praise for PM Modi, calling his visit a moment of pride and shared history….reports Asian Lite News Prime Minister Narendra Modi will

India Eyes Global No. 3 Spot, Says Modi

The Prime Minister stated that people of India have resolved to make India a Developed Nation by 2047, when “we celebrate 100 years of Independence”….reports Asian Lite News Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Thousands ‘disappeared’ from China for upsetting regime

In China, being wealthy and influential can be a cause for

Beijing praises Shehbaz’s remarks

In his maiden speech, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had said