I ran the CIA – here’s why China’s new London embassy is a security threat

The British Government must ensure that UK and US intelligence secrets do not become more vulnerable to Chinese spies by allowing Beijing to open a huge new embassy in London, a former head of the CIA has warned. Leon Panetta, who ran the spy agency under president Barack Obama and later served as his defence secretary, said the UK must be “very tough with China” to ensure confidential data and messages aren’t left open to potential interception. (Photos: Getty)

'Significant' concerns about potential 'interference and surveillance'

Ministers are in the final stages of weighing up whether to grant permission for China to redevelop a vast site at Royal Mint Court, near the financial district in the City of London. But security sources are alarmed that the location could make it easy for any Chinese agents stationed at the embassy to tap vital communication cables nearby, as first revealed by The i Paper. The US Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party has raised “significant” concerns about potential “interference and surveillance” if the scheme goes ahead, which has worried the White House. (Photo: Victoria Jones/PA)

'The UK must be smart about this'

In an interview, Panetta (pictured, left) said: “The UK has to take whatever steps are necessary to make sure that China does not use the location of a new embassy in order to be able to access British intelligence, or US intelligence for that matter. The UK has to be very smart about this, look at what the potential areas are that China could exploit, and take steps to make sure that does not happen. We went through that here in the US with the Russian embassy, with the Chinese embassy… It was clear that we had to impose some very tough requirements on them so that we would not just give them free access to intelligence sources. The UK is just going to have to be very tough with China to make sure that any new embassy doesn’t become just an intelligence centre for them.” (Photo: Larry Downing-Pool/Getty)

Ambassadorial team denies claims

China’s ambassadorial team in London has vigorously denied claims that it is seeking to use a new embassy to carry out aggressive spying operations in the UK. It has been reported that the Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, is minded to approve the scheme, which was recently recommended for approval by the Planning Inspectorate. Diplomatic experts say it is reasonable for a major world power like China to seek a larger embassy site because its current facilities are cramped and outdated.

Should it be blocked?

The British Government is thought to be keen because it would improve relations with the Chinese government and smooth the way for the UK to secure a bigger site for its own embassy team in Beijing. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Coooper have given their support. However, the former MI6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove (pictured) – who co-hosts the geopolitics podcast One Decision with Panetta – believes it should be blocked because China would “listen to everything or collect anything”, while acting “with impunity”. The high-profile Conservative MP Robert Jenrick has said he would back calls for a judicial review if the Chinese proposal is given the go-ahead. (Photo: Reuters/Lucy Nicholson)

Potential for intelligence collection by line-of-sight signals?

Analysis by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, a US-based think-tank, cautioned this month that Chinese operatives at the proposed embassy “could potentially access a portion of the hundreds of billions of international data messages flowing through the area each day”. It explained: “Beijing submitted plans to include a large basement area, multiple underground rooms, and a tunnel connecting the Embassy House to a separate building on the embassy grounds.” This could “facilitate clandestine access to fiber-optic cables” and would probably house intelligence operations rooms. It added that China could also design the building for “line-of-sight signals intelligence collection” by installing advanced cameras at high vantage points and pointing them at key financial buildings such as the Gherkin. (Photo: Google Earth)

'Abandon Cold-War mentality'

There is precedent for this, the think-tank said. “In 2022, Beijing sought to construct a 70ft white pagoda in Washington, DC’s National Arboretum – a project ultimately blocked after the FBI determined it could be used to spy on Congress.” A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy has previously hit out at attempts to “smear China” with spying claims. This week, they called for Britain to “completely abandon Cold-War mentality”, saying: “Accusations such as Chinese espionage… against the UK are entirely fabricated, malicious slander.” Regarding Royal Mint Court, they have said: “Host countries have the international obligation to support and facilitate the building of the premises of diplomatic missions. It is hoped that the UK side will fulfill that obligation.” (Photo: Carlos Jasso/Reuters)