Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 21: Victor Gao, former translator for late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and a prominent defender of Beijing’s policies, has warned that China would “retaliate in kind” if the British government decides to block plans for a new Chinese embassy in London. Speaking to Times Radio, Gao said denying access to the proposed embassy site would be a “stupid decision” that could lead to a “very nasty chapter” in China-UK relations.
“I hope the British government will not do that stupid thing and will not make that stupid decision because they know for sure if they do not give access to the site in London, China will not give access to the site they chose in Beijing on a completely reciprocal basis,” Gao, a regular fixture in Chinese state-aligned discourse, told Times Radio. “That will be a very nasty chapter in China-British relations,” he added, warning that the UK should be “fully aware of all the consequences” of provoking one of the world’s biggest economies and military powers.
When asked whether Prime Minister Keir Starmer would still be welcome in Beijing if the UK blocks the embassy plan, Gao responded that the British leader “will be better advised not to do so.”
Gao’s remarks come as tensions rise over China’s proposal to build a massive new embassy complex in London’s Tower Hamlets, which has faced growing political resistance. The UK Housing Secretary, Steve Reed, had been expected to announce a decision on the planning application by October 21, but the ruling has now been postponed to December 10, marking the second delay in the government’s decision on the controversial project.
The proposed site, which would become China’s largest embassy in the world, has drawn criticism from local residents and national security experts who fear it could pose an espionage threat. Senior Conservative MPs, including Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Alicia Kearns and Security Minister Tom Tugendhat, have publicly urged the government to reject the application, citing security and community concerns.
Kearns previously warned that the location of the embassy, close to key infrastructure and local housing, could be used for intelligence gathering, while Tugendhat has described the project as a potential “national security risk.”
The Chinese government purchased the Royal Mint Court site for an estimated £255 million in 2018 but has since struggled to move forward with the development amid mounting opposition.
Those opposing the controversial project include members of the Tibetan, Uyghur, Hongkonger, Taiwanese, and Chinese dissident communities in the UK, who have mobilised in large protests against the plan. Free Tibet, a UK-based non-governmental organisation that has been at the forefront of the campaign against the proposed Chinese mega-embassy, warned that the project could extend Beijing’s reach into Britain. The group expressed concern that the embassy could facilitate intimidation and surveillance of exiled communities, echoing China’s policies of repression and transnational control observed in other countries.
