Angela Rayner calls on China to explain redacted images in London ‘super-embassy’ plans

Angela Rayner has told China to explain why parts of its plans for a new super-embassy in London are redacted.

Transcript

00:00In a letter, Rainer's Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government asks planning

00:07consultants representing the Chinese Embassy to explain why drawings of the planned site

00:15are blacked out. The letter gives two weeks until 20th August for an explanation to be

00:23provided. Some in Westminster have raised the alarm that what would be the largest embassy

00:30in Europe could be used to conduct surveillance from British soil, pro-democracy campaigners

00:38from Hong Kong, as well as Uyghurs and Tibetans. Meanwhile, fear that intimidation and reprisals

00:47from the Chinese state could result from the embassy going ahead. This follows reports

00:55that bounties have been issued by China for dissident Hong Kongers now living in the UK.

01:03China bought the Royal Mint Court in 2018. Tower Hamlets then refused planning permission in

01:112022. Two weeks after Keir Starmer's election victory, China resubmitted the application,

01:19believing the Labour government may be more receptive to the plans. We now expect the final

01:27decision to be made by Angela Rayner by the 9th of September. Since entering office, Keir's

01:34government has sought closer links with Beijing after a cooling during the final years of Conservative

01:43Party rule.