Chairman John Moolenaar of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and China, along with Representative Chris Smith, Chairman of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC), have communicated their concerns to Lord Peter Mandelson, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to the United States. The letter addresses issues surrounding the proposed construction of a new Chinese Embassy in London.
The proposed embassy would be situated at Royal Mint Court and is set to become China's largest diplomatic presence in Europe. This development comes ahead of an anticipated meeting between UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Donald Trump.
In their letter, Moolenaar and Smith argue that allowing such a significant diplomatic expansion by China would reward what they describe as "the CCP’s human rights abuses and efforts to suppress political opposition." Moolenaar emphasized that "allowing the CCP to expand its influence... poses serious risks to global security, democratic institutions, and economic stability."
Smith highlighted ongoing issues such as a UK citizen's detention in Hong Kong, surveillance activities by Chinese agents within the UK, and concerns over products made with forced labor reaching British consumers. He stated there is "no good reason" for granting China this increased influence.
The letter also calls on Prime Minister Starmer to focus on securing the release of Jimmy Lai, a detained UK citizen in Hong Kong. The communication urges coordination with President Trump towards this goal.
Moolenaar and Smith express their opinions out of respect for the longstanding relationship between the US and UK. They hope these concerns will be conveyed during Prime Minister Starmer's visit to Washington.
