00:00The Royal Mint Court Residents Association argued the presence of the new Chinese mega-embassy could lead to terrorist attacks
00:09or the repression of protests, while being used to enforce what was described as draconian Chinese laws in the UK
00:17and to target dissidents.
00:19It brought legal action against the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
00:28The association, which represents families and businesses and about 100 properties, was also concerned about the Chinese government creating a
00:35fire risk by ignoring safety obligations, which it said would not be enforceable because of diplomatic immunity.
00:42The government and the council defended the claim, saying they conscientiously and carefully had regard to the residents' concerns.
00:51Following a hearing at the High Court earlier this month, two judges dismissed the challenge.
00:58Critics of the Chinese Communist Party said the legal fight would continue against the planned National Embassy to avoid the
01:06UK's capital becoming a power centre for Beijing.
01:10The residents' association claim that the planning decision had been made unlawfully, that there was a failure to disclose a
01:17blast assessment and security statement, that the government had not followed planning regulations and that it had not identified and
01:25assessed human rights, was rejected by the judges.
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