London Teaches Beijing a Lesson in Democracy
The aborted plan for a “super embassy” in the UK illustrates the gap in political culture between China and Britain.
The facade of one of the buildings at the Royal Mint Court office complex, which China bough as the site of its London embassy.
Photographer: Bloomberg/BloombergFarewell, China’s “super embassy.” The historic site of the former Royal Mint opposite the Tower of London won’t be playing host to the largest foreign mission in the UK, at least anytime soon, after Beijing missed a deadline last week to appeal the rejection of its application by elected local representatives.
The project would have been the perfect symbol of goodwill for a British government that is pursuing a reset in trade and investment ties with Beijing. Instead, it has turned into another irritant in an already fractious relationship. The Chinese embassy blamed the government for the plan’s failure, and urged the UK “to fulfill its relevant international obligations.”