On October 17, China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Lin Swed, rarely said directly at the conference that "the British side has no contract spirit and has a lack of confidence and morality."
Such statements are rarely seen in past diplomatic occasions.The Chinese side's patience has reached the edge, and the words are said so directly that they are obviously intolerable.
It is clear that China wanted to build a new embassy in London, the place had already been bought, the procedures also went in accordance with the rules, and the result was that Britain's delay was seven years, and it has not been given a batch.
Now it says it won't be decided until December 10th. This is not only a matter of time, but also a matter of principle. The question is, what is Britain afraid of and what is it waiting for?
From a deal to a see-saw: A seven-year test of China's patience
This first dates back to 2018, when the Chinese government purchased the former site of the Royal Mint in the heart of London via formal channels, with the intention of transforming it into a new embassy in the UK.
From a procedural point of view, the land was purchased cleanly and the procedures were complete. The British side did not say anything at the beginning, and even supported it. Everyone thought that this was just a step-by-step urban construction project, but did not expect it to become an endless "long road to approval."
In the beginning, the British side claimed to be heard, saying that considering urban planning and the protection of historical buildings, it is said to fear the appearance of the new building destroys the appearance of the old London.
But the problem is that the Chinese side did not go its own way. Instead, it made several rounds of revisions to the design scheme according to the relevant regulations of the United Kingdom, and specially invited professional organizations to evaluate it. The evaluation results have also passed, so there should be no major problems.
But time has dragged on again and again, and the reason has begun to become more and more "mysterious". In recent years, the British media and some parliamentarians have begun to hype the so-called "Chinese espionage risk", saying that the new museum is located close to the City of London, fearing "sensitive information leakage".
This statement sounds somewhat strong, after all, where the embassy is built, is approved by the host government, and security issues are not qualitative.
What's more, even if there are real concerns, there should be factual basis. But even Britain's own prosecutors had previously prosecuted several China citizens on suspicion of espionage, but later withdrew the case due to insufficient evidence.
Since there is no evidence, are these arguments not a means of deliberately setting obstacles?
In the past seven years, China has never blamed Britain publicly, only communicated and coordinated the approval process over and over again.
Until recently, it was the first time that such a loud word as "disbelief" was spoken.Explaining the problem is no longer the procedure shell, but the principle of trust.
Being tolerant to yourself and challenging to others: "double-target" diplomacy is difficult to say.
What's even more ironic is that while the new museum in China has not been approved, the UK's own embassy in China is actively promoting upgrades. At present, the facilities of the British Embassy in China are already old, and there have even been water supply system failures.
To this end, while expressing dissatisfaction with the Chinese side, the British side asked the Chinese side to speed up the examination and approval process and wanted to solve the problem as soon as possible.
This creates an extremely dazzling contrast: I am in a hurry to build it, but others cannot build a museum. What is even more ironic is that the British side also speculated that China was deliberately slowing down the approval process, and some media even suggested that it was "fighting back."
The Chinese side has never set barriers on the issue of the British embassy in China, but has been moving forward based on a cooperative attitude.
China has repeatedly emphasized that the construction and maintenance of diplomatic buildings is a duty of the host country. This is not only international practice, but also the basis forining normal diplomatic relations. Since the two countries need new buildings, it is natural that they should support each other, rather than engage in selective implementation.
Britain, on the one hand, is very challenging about China's application, but on the other hand, it hopes that China will light the green light.
In addition to the politicization of normal diplomatic and approval issues by some British voices, they are ultimately creating antagonism and using external issues as instruments for domestic affairs.
The deeper problem is that this actually reflects a contradictory gesture of Britain in dealing with relations with China.On the one hand, it hopes to continue to cooperate economically with China, especially after Brexit, the economic pressure is great, and investment and trade need new growth points.
On the other hand, it is reluctant to blame the United States politically, and many of its policies towards China are clearly influenced by the outside world.
America's Shadow, Britain's Hesitation: A Decision That Doesn't Belong to London
In recent years, the United States has often interpreted China’s overseas embassy construction as a “security threat.”
At the beginning of 2025, relevant committees in the U.S. Congress publicly put pressure on the British government to express "concerns" about China's establishment of an embassy in London. By the middle of the year, it was even reported that the White House directly raised objections to the British Prime Minister's Office, and it was also reported that the former US president personally called the British Prime Minister and asked for "reconsideration".
Although these statements are not explicitly not permitted, but in practical operation undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on the British government.Especially at present, the United Kingdom in many areas such as trade, security and other issues need to be coordinated, the U.S. position is often turned into "guiding opinions".
It is obviously not easy for Britain to maintain diplomatic independence.
This also explains why Britain has shown such strong hesitation and delay in the process of approving the Chinese embassy.On the one hand, domestic anti-China forces are constantly creating public opinion, and on the other hand, external allies are constantly speaking.
Although the newly appointed British government is more pragmatic on the surface, it is still difficult to get rid of the old political inertia when dealing with such sensitive issues.
In fact, Britain has also realized the importance of its relations with China in recent years. Under the current background of weak economic growth, the Chinese market, Chinese tourists and Chinese investment are all real benefits for Britain.
Many British companies have long hoped that the government can ease relations with China and avoid missing opportunities. However, if you still choose to stand on the side of external pressure on this key issue, you will not only miss the opportunity of cooperation, but also seriously damage your international credibility.
This approval of the embassy is ultimately a test for the British government’s diplomatic stance: to continue to be taken away by external forces, or to regain judgment and contract spirit as an independent country?
The decision of December 10th, I am afraid, is not just a simple answer, but a self-choice of value orientation.
A paper approval, involving not only Chinese-British relations
Seven years of waiting showed great restraint and sincerity on the Chinese side, while the British side’s delay and avoidance seemed to be increasingly complicating a simple thing.
Now China has made it clear that patience is running out, and the next action will depend on the choice of the British side.
From a legal point of view, the establishment of a Chinese embassy in London is entirely legal, and the British side has no substantial reason to prevent it. From a diplomatic point of view, China and Britain, as permanent members of the UN Security Council, should handle affairs on the basis of mutual respect.
From a realistic perspective, the UK’s current economic and international situation determines its need for more stable foreign relations.
If Britain continues to “take shape” on this matter, even without giving a clear answer or delaying it again until December 10, then the consequences will not only be Chinese dissatisfaction, but also likely the overall shift in Sino-British relations.
In a sense, this incident is not just an approval, but a diplomatic statement.
Diplomacy does not rely on shouting slogans, let alone a unilateral game, but is maintained by practical actions and mutual understanding. China has done what should be done, and the rest depends on which path Britain wants to take. Should we continue to pretend to be confused and allow misunderstandings to accumulate? Or should we face up to reality, show a little contractual spirit and political wisdom, and draw a clean end to this matter.
December 10 may be a new starting point for the Sino-British relationship and a turning point for a missed opportunity, but this time, the initiative is not in Chinese hands.
Source: Spokesperson of the Embassy of China in the UK: I expressed strong dissatisfaction with the British side's repeated postponement of the planning approval time limit for the new embassy project of the China Embassy-2025 - 10 -17 07:34·World Wide Web