Matthew Brooker, Columnist

Labour's China Embassy Fix Is a Mega Fail

Desperate for economic growth, Britain caves in to Beijing’s demands.

January 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM UTC

Matthew Brooker is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering business and infrastructure. Formerly, he was an editor for Bloomberg News and the South China Morning Post.

The site of the former Royal Mint in London, possibly the site of China’s new embassy.
Photographer: HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP

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Britain's Labour government has characterized its China policy under the catchy slogan of the three Cs, for “cooperate, challenge and compete.” It may soon need to add a fourth C: for “cave.”

Hot on the heels of Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves’ nothingburger trade mission to Beijing, Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper intervened in support of China’s application for a huge embassy on the site of the former Royal Mint opposite the Tower of London — despite the misgivings of Britain’s intelligence services, police concerns over the public safety implications and two unanimous votes by local representatives rejecting the plan.