LONDON ¨C By approving China¡¯s plans for a mega-embassy in London, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has gambled on winning closer trade ties and investment from China at the risk of angering politicians in Britain and the United States.
Beijing¡¯s desire to build China¡¯s biggest embassy in Europe in the heart of historic London had become a flash point in relations, testing Britain¡¯s ability to navigate the security risks and trade potential of a relationship with China.
The government ignored warnings from British and U.S. politicians, local ?residents and British-based Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigners who said the new building could be used as a base for espionage and to intimidate Chinese dissidents.
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