SS: In *Nikkei Asia*, Clement Ngu reveals how China’s quest to erect a sprawling “super embassy” in the heart of London has ignited local resistance and cast a long, uneasy shadow over UK sovereignty. Residents like Mark Nygate, whose home lies mere meters from the proposed compound, voice deep anxiety about constant surveillance and creeping authoritarianism. The embassy, set to be China’s largest in Europe, looms not just as a structure but as a symbol of Beijing’s growing reach, nestled strategically near critical communications cables and towering financial districts. Revived only after Xi Jinping personally lobbied Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the project now serves as a pressure point in Britain’s tentative diplomatic reset with China. Washington has sounded the alarm, warning of espionage risks, while voices from Hong Kong, like Clara Cheung, see in the embassy a grim echo of repression exported abroad. With a decision expected by September 9, the future of this fortress-like mission, and what it portends for civil liberties on British soil, now hangs in a tense, time-bound limbo.
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SS: In *Nikkei Asia*, Clement Ngu reveals how China’s quest to erect a sprawling “super embassy” in the heart of London has ignited local resistance and cast a long, uneasy shadow over UK sovereignty. Residents like Mark Nygate, whose home lies mere meters from the proposed compound, voice deep anxiety about constant surveillance and creeping authoritarianism. The embassy, set to be China’s largest in Europe, looms not just as a structure but as a symbol of Beijing’s growing reach, nestled strategically near critical communications cables and towering financial districts. Revived only after Xi Jinping personally lobbied Prime Minister Keir Starmer, the project now serves as a pressure point in Britain’s tentative diplomatic reset with China. Washington has sounded the alarm, warning of espionage risks, while voices from Hong Kong, like Clara Cheung, see in the embassy a grim echo of repression exported abroad. With a decision expected by September 9, the future of this fortress-like mission, and what it portends for civil liberties on British soil, now hangs in a tense, time-bound limbo.