The UK on Tuesday approved plans for China’s new mega-embassy in London, smoothing the path for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to visit China later this month.
The 700,000-square-foot building faced pushback from some British and American politicians, citing national security risks, particularly fears of espionage.
But in greenlighting China’s biggest embassy in Europe, Starmer is betting on “winning closer trade ties and investment” from Beijing, Reuters wrote.
His expected visit to China would be the first by a British leader since 2018, and comes as Beijing looks to capitalize on US-fueled geopolitical disruption to repair and deepen its overseas relationships. China is hosting a stream of Western leaders, and France’s president said at Davos that Europe needs more Chinese investment.