Britain's High Court has ruled that the government's decision to approve China's planned "mega embassy" in London was lawful, dismissing a legal challenge brought by local residents.
The proposed embassy, to be built at the historic Royal Mint Court near the Tower of London, received planning approval in January, shortly before then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer became the first British leader since 2018 to visit China.
According to the British media, the project has been viewed as part of a broader effort by London to improve relations with Beijing despite concerns raised by British and U.S. politicians that the site could be used for espionage. Britain's intelligence agencies have said any such risks could be mitigated.
The legal challenge was brought by the Royal Mint Court Residents' Association (RMCRA), representing families and businesses based at the site. The group argued that the approval was unlawful because officials had failed to properly consider concerns that the embassy could restrict protests or be used to monitor Chinese dissidents.
However, the High Court rejected the claims.
The court said in a summary of its ruling: "The RMCRA did not produce reasonable and convincing evidence of the likelihood that a violation of human rights affecting them personally would occur."
The court also dismissed the RMCRA's arguments relating to the enforcement of planning conditions and an alleged failure by authorities to disclose relevant documents during an earlier inquiry into the development plans.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
