Hundreds gather to protest against proposed Chinese 'mega-embassy' in London
Ministers have promised to make a decision on whether to grant the Chinese embassy planning permission by January 20.
Hundreds of people have gathered outside the Royal Mint Court in London, the site of the proposed new Chinese embassy, to protest against the plans.
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Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch called for the Government to stop China’s proposed central London “mega-embassy” when she spoke at the protest on Saturday.
The Government is facing mounting calls to reject Beijing’s plans for the embassy over security concerns.
Mrs Badenoch said: “I am standing here with you today because I believe in freedom. I’m standing with you today, because I know what it is like to live without freedom.
"We take it for granted in the United Kingdom because we have had it for so long, but those who have lived under oppressive regimes, those who have lived under authoritarianism, those who have lived under communism, know what that suffering is like, and we do not want to see that here."
Read more: White House 'concerned' about Chinese mega-embassy plans after experts raised security fears
She continued: “So I speak right now as the leader of the Opposition, the leader of the Conservative Party: I stand with you, I tell you that I will always fight for freedom, and I am calling on the Government to stop this decision.
“We do not want a country that spies on our MPs having this super-embassy right here, and I will do everything within my power to continue speaking on your behalf.”
The plans for the site of the embassy, near the Tower of London, include 208 secret rooms and a hidden chamber, according to reporting by The Telegraph.
Critics fear the secret rooms, located in the site’s basement, could be used for the detention of dissidents who have fled the Chinese state for Britain.
The hidden chamber would meanwhile be located in close proximity to data cables said to be crucial for financial sector communications between the City of London and Canary Wharf.
A group of local residents are also staunchly opposed to the plans and appeared at the protest on Saturday.
Ministers have promised to make a decision on whether to grant the Chinese embassy planning permission by January 20.
Before then, they have insisted it would be inappropriate for them to comment on it.