UK Tibet Groups Condemn China Mega Embassy Decision
The approval represents a dangerous political concession to Beijing at a time when the Chinese government is intensifying repression in Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong, expanding its global surveillance operations, and pursuing critics beyond its borders.
UK-based Tibet organisations have today condemned the UK Government’s decision to approve the construction of a vast new Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court in London,[1] describing it as a reckless act that endangers national security, legitimises repression, and abandons activists living in the UK.
The decision clears the way for what will become China’s largest embassy in Europe, despite years of opposition from MPs across parties, local residents, human rights groups, and communities targeted by the Chinese government.
Tenzin Rabga, Free Tibet: “The UK government’s approval of China’s mega-embassy in London is a serious and deeply troubling political decision, though one that will surprise few of us who have long opposed it. By approving this mega-embassy, the government has shown how quickly stated principles can be set aside, and how easily Beijing’s interests are allowed to override human rights, accountability, and British democratic values.”
Khadro Norbu, Students for a Free Tibet- London: “UK government’s decision is alarming, desperate, and frankly signals the beginning of a weakening Britain. As a Tibetan whose parents found refuge in Britain after China’s illegal occupation of Tibet, I am deeply disappointed China’s mega-embassy has been given the green light while ignoring the reality many of us face: China’s illegal undercover policing or hired thugs on UK streets, the monitoring, filming, and targeting of people like me. They do not care that we are British citizens. If we do not align with the Chinese government they seek to silence us, intimidate us, and threaten our families back home. This decision threatens not only our safety, but the democratic values and long-term security of Britain itself, which I proudly call home.”
Rashi Jauhri, International Tibet Network: “Prime Minister Starmer has built a career on the defence of international law, including securing a High Court victory in 2000 against the Metropolitan Police for unlawfully suppressing Tibetan protesters, but he is now he has now entered a diplomatic realm with China where that very law has been dismantled. Granting China this mega-embassy fortress isn’t just a lapse in common sense; it is a mega-historic error. By ignoring the explicit warnings of both security experts and vulnerable communities in the UK, the government has prioritised short-term diplomacy over its previous commitments to human rights and safety. Starmer must remember that his silence in the face of widely documented abuses is a betrayal of the very international rights system he vowed to uphold.” [2]
Tashi Lahmu, Voluntary Tibet Advocacy Group UK: “As a British born Tibetan, China’s mega embassy will represent a monument of fear to those of us living in exile outside of occupied Tibet. My community already faces escalating harassment and intimidation from Chinese agents on a regular basis; right here on UK soil. This decision will simply embolden those who seek to repress and silence us. I condemn the decision outright. My safety and that of my community is now under even more threat in a city we thought would give us safety. We will continue to fight against this decision, stand our ground, and make sure our voices are heard.”
Tibet groups said the approval represents a dangerous political concession to Beijing at a time when the Chinese government is intensifying repression in Tibet, Taiwan and Hong Kong, expanding its global surveillance operations, and pursuing critics beyond its borders.[3] In their latest letter to UK Housing Minister Steve Reed,[4] Tibet groups had warned the government that approving the mega embassy would place Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hongkongers and Chinese dissidents in the UK at heightened risk of surveillance, intimidation, and transnational repression, concerns reinforced by the documented assault on a Hong Kong protester inside the Manchester consulate in 2022 and the issuing of bounties against UK-based activists.
The coalition stands in solidarity with Royal Mint Court residents preparing a legal challenge [5] and warned that the project threatens both community stability and public safety in one of London’s most sensitive locations.
Notes to editor:
[1] The Guardian, UK government approves Chinese ‘mega embassy’ in London https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/20/china-mega-embassy-approved-london
[2] Free Tibet Campaign seeks Judicial Review, February 2000: “All legal work is being undertaken by leading human rights barrister Keir Starmer, and solicitor Julie Holden of Winstanley Burgess. Navi Ahluwalia of the Advice on Individual Rights in Europe Centre is advising.” https://tibetnetwork.org/free22/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Free-tibet-Campaign-seeks-Judicial-Review-February-2000.pdf
The Guardian, ‘Police action at Tibet rally unlawful, Met forced into climbdown over treatment of protesters,’ 4 May 2000: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2000/may/04/willwoodward
[3] BBC News 26 July 2025. UK condemns Hong Kong cash offer for help in arresting activists https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdx069we39xo
Sky News, September 2025 Hong Kong activists with bounties on their heads say they don’t feel safe in the UK https://news.sky.com/video/hong-kong-activists-with-bounties-on-their-heads-say-they-dont-feel-safe-in-the-uk-13435767
Amnesty International reports on PRC transnational repression and UK Foreign Affairs Committee inquiries documenting intimidation of Tibetans, Uyghurs and dissidents. https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/138330/default/
[4] International Tibet Network, 6 January 2026, UK Housing Secretary Must Reject China’s Mega-Embassy: Open Letter https://tibetnetwork.org/uk-housing-secretary-must-reject-chinas-mega-embassy-open-letter/
International Tibet Network, 25 November 2025: Open Letter To UK Housing Secretary: Reject China’s Mega-Embassy https://tibetnetwork.org/no-to-china/
[5] The Guardian, Royal Mint Court residents plan legal challenge if Chinese ‘mega embassy’ in London approved https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/jan/20/royal-mint-court-legal-challenge-chinese-mega-embassy
Media Contact:
Tenzin Rabga (Free Tibet): +44 7470 007412
Rashi Jauhri (International Tibet Network): +44 7587 094876 OR +91-9899-28-5319 (WhatsApp contact)
