50th Protest Planned Against Controversial Mega Chinese Embassy in London

By Tenzin Chokyi

DHARAMSALA 16 January: UK-based Tibetan organisations are set to participate in what may be the most significant—and potentially final—protest against the proposed Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court in London. The protest will take place at the site on 17 January, ahead of the UK government’s expected approval of the controversial development on 20 January.

Organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), the demonstration is scheduled for 2 p.m. and marks IPAC’s 50th protest against the proposed embassy since 2023. It is expected to bring together more than 20 diaspora community groups affected by Chinese state repression in the UK, local residents, and senior political figures from across the country’s major political parties. Speakers have not been publicly named for security reasons.

The protest is seen as particularly significant ahead of Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s planned visit to Beijing later this month, which, according to reports, could be delayed if Beijing feels the UK has not made enough progress on approving the controversial plan to build Europe’s largest embassy in London.

“This proposed mega-embassy is not just a local planning issue; it is a global human rights concern. For Tibetans and other persecuted communities, it symbolises the expanding reach of a state responsible for repression, surveillance, and the systematic silencing of dissent. With the UK government expected to decide on this proposal by 20 January, the protest on 17 January is a crucial moment to defend democratic values, stand with affected communities, and send a clear message that human rights must not be sacrificed for political convenience,” stated Tsering Passang, founder-chair of the Global Alliance for Tibet and Persecuted Minorities (GATPM), in a press release.

The protest aims to highlight key unresolved issues surrounding the proposed embassy, including national security risks linked to sensitive infrastructure beneath the site carrying financial data between London’s main financial districts, potential threats to Chinese dissidents and diaspora communities in the UK, limited transparency due to redacted plans, and the protection of historic ruins within the site.

Local residents will reportedly use the demonstration to launch fundraising for their first legal challenge—a judicial review—against the embassy approval process. They argue that the process was legally flawed, lacked transparency, and ignored both local concerns and the historical significance of the site.

“We strongly support the legal challenge and judicial review brought by the Royal Mint Court Residents Association (RMCRA), which represents one of the final avenues to uphold local democracy, transparency, and the rule of law,” added Passang from GATPM.

The protest and the planned judicial review will highlight concerns over transparency, local rights, national security, and China’s transnational repression, representing a crucial moment for residents, diaspora communities, and human rights advocates to make their voices heard against a development that extends the reach of a state responsible for surveillance, intimidation, and the silencing of dissent abroad.