Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, June 17: More than 4,000 demonstrators gathered in central London on Saturday to voice their opposition to the Chinese Communist Party’s proposed mega-embassy complex at Royal Mint Court, in what organisers described as one of the largest protests against the project to date.
The demonstration, held near the Tower of London, brought together a diverse coalition of communities, including Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kong diaspora members, Taiwanese activists, pro-democracy Chinese, and local British residents. The protest consisted of two consecutive rallies: “No to CCP Mega-Embassy” and “China: Stop Transnational Repression”.
Tsering Passang, founder-chair of the Global Alliance for Tibet & Persecuted Minorities (GATPM) and former Chairman of the Tibetan Community in Britain, delivered a keynote address denouncing what he termed a “monstrous” plan that threatens British democratic institutions and national security.
“This would become the CCP’s largest foreign outpost in Europe, a vast and intimidating compound just steps away from the historic Tower of London,” Passang told the crowd. “It would be a beacon not of diplomacy, but of surveillance, intimidation, and transnational repression.”
The proposed facility has drawn criticism from multiple quarters, with opponents citing concerns about covert Chinese police stations that have been uncovered across Europe and North America. Several countries, including the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United States, have expressed alarm over China’s expanding diplomatic footprint and alleged interference operations.
The controversy has also highlighted tensions between local and national decision-making processes. Tower Hamlets Council initially rejected the embassy application in December 2022, citing safety, heritage, and policing concerns. However, the UK government subsequently “called in” the decision for review following Foreign Secretary David Lammy’s visit to China in October 2024.
Clara Cheung, a former Hong Kong District Councillor who helped organise the protest, criticised this intervention as undermining democratic principles. “This does not respect the bottom-up democratic mechanisms that the British people have long valued,” she said.
Cheung, who, like several other speakers, faces a HK$1 million bounty placed by Hong Kong authorities, emphasised the importance of the struggle for Hong Kong activists and other persecuted communities.
The protest organisers have received support from Members of Parliament, national security services, and the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), all of whom have expressed concerns about the potential security implications of the proposed embassy complex.
The opposition to the Chinese embassy project has been ongoing for over five years, with GATPM and allied organisations conducting sustained campaigns involving local residents, MPs, and advocacy groups. The protesters have consistently argued that the proposed facility would serve as more than a traditional diplomatic mission.
“We urge the British government to act boldly – in defence of national security, democratic values, and moral leadership,” Passang declared. “Reject this expansionist CCP project. Do not let the Royal Mint Court become a gateway for repression on British soil.”
