Iain Duncan Smith, a former leader of Sunak's governing Conservative Party, wants it to go further, saying a decision to block the embassy would show how Britain prioritises national security in its relationship with China. Like other European states, Sunak's government has adopted a policy of seeking to neutralise security threats posed by China - notably by banning some Chinese technology - while seeking to engage in areas such as trade, investment and climate change. The last telephone call between the nations' leaders came more than a year ago. Planned talks between Sunak and Xi on the sidelines of a global summit in November last year were abruptly cancelled. There have been no leader-level face-to-face meetings since 2018. If the Planning Inspectorate finds the application contentious or nationally significant it would go to British housing minister Michael Gove, who could also "call in" the project if he wants to take the final decision himself.Ĭoncerns about the crackdown on freedoms in Hong Kong, reports of human rights abuses against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang, and suspicion over China trying to penetrate security systems have all intervened. The first step in any such appeal would require an application to an independent Planning Inspectorate reviewer. 11 deadline looms for Beijing to appeal against the planning refusal. But it will most probably need to pick a side soon.Īn Aug. The British government has been keen to distance itself from the whole planning process. Britain's housing and foreign ministries declined to comment. "It is very messy and a headache we could do without," one British official said.
The stakes are high - China has been the second-largest source of foreign direct investment into London for the last decade, behind the United States. "It is definitely political," one Chinese official said.īritish officials - caught between the demands of Beijing, politicians and some equally vocal local residents - have dismissed those accusations, saying councils make their own decisions. Reuters could not determine in exactly how many meetings the issue had been raised. They have raised their unhappiness about being unable to relocate to the new site in meetings with British counterparts in recent months, according to four people involved or with knowledge of the talks.
0 kommentar(er)
