Banned Chinese tech companies backing Beijing's London embassy fuel spying concerns
The Chinese tech giants backing the development are blacklisted on national security grounds in Britain and the US
The lobbying efforts of blacklisted Chinese tech firms have amplified concerns that Beijing's new London embassy could be used as a spy base.
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Chinese tech giants ZTE Mobile and China Mobile, who are blacklisted on national security grounds in Britain and the United State, have sounded their approval of the plans for the new Chinese "super embassy" in London.
Beijing is in the process of trying to get approval for the proposed development of Royal Mint Court, a grade II listed building in east London, that China bought for £255 million back in 2018.
The project is currently on hold over potential espionage concerns.
In a letter to the government's planning inquiry, ZTE Mobile described the proposed development as "beautiful", and urged officials to approve the scheme.
The state-owned tech company has previously been described by GCHQ as posing a risk to British telecommunications infrastructure that “cannot be mitigated".
It was also fined $1billion in 2017 for sending equipment to North Korea and Iran, violating US sanctions.
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Another state-owned company, China Mobile, also expressed its “full support” for the new embassy in a letter. The company is reported to have close connections to the People's Liberation Army.
It is believed the lobbying is likely the work of the Chinese government, which also asked state-owned energy companies and banks to make submissions. The firms may receive contracts to help build the embassy.
Last week, the US government tightened restrictions on the use of its equipment, saying: “America’s foreign adversaries are constantly looking for ways to exploit any vulnerabilities in our system.”
The news renews concern that China will use the development to engage in digital espionage and access sensitive data. The site sits above a vast web of fibre-optic cables used to carry information into the City of London.
If completed, the embassy would be the largest diplomatic premises in Europe at 700,000 square feet.
Steve Reed, the housing secretary, will make a final decision on the proposal in mid-December.