China has accused the British government of failing to meet its diplomatic obligations following announced plans to relocate its embassy to a historic building in east London that appeared on the verge of collapse.
In 2018, the Chinese government bought the old Royal Mint near the Tower of London at a value of £255 million ($325 million) with the intention of moving its embassy to the sprawling 700,000-square-foot site from the central Marylebone district.
China’s embassy in Washington D.C. is around 430,000 square feet, by comparison.
On a separate note, the UK revealed that it was weighing how to respond to a decision by U.S. President Joe Biden to prohibit some tech investments in China.
A spokesperson for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government said: “The UK will consider these new measures closely as we continue to assess potential national security risks attached to some investments.”
