Is China's mega-embassy a mega-spy base?

中国的巨型大使馆是否是巨型间谍基地?

The Story

2026-01-19

31 分钟
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单集简介 ...

China is on the cusp of constructing the biggest embassy in Europe– right in central London– despite a growing chorus of concern it could be used for a number of spying operations. So why is Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer expected to approve the project? And how worried should we really be? This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory Guests:  Cindy Yu, columnist and contributing editor, The Times and The Sunday Times. Geraldine Scott, assistant political editor, The Times.Host: Luke Jones.  Producer: Micaela Arneson.  Read more: It’s a mega mistake to allow the new Chinese embassyWhy China’s embassy plan should be approvedFurther listening: Will 2026 be the year of China? Clips: The Mirror, Daily Express, Sky News, Channel 4.  Photo: Getty Images. Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  • From the Times and the Sunday Times this is the story.

  • I'm Luke Jones And I am out and about looking at a small-ish piece of land that could soon be China I'm not in China.

  • I know that I'm in London because I'm absolutely wet through with thick drizzle.

  • I can see just behind me the Tower of London.

  • I passed Tower Bridge earlier.

  • There's a smattering of vape shops, all the London sites.

  • And this is the old Royal Mint building, a big old Palladian looking thing with some colonnades,

  • a little court, and that fence appearing into it.

  • But this is what the Chinese government want to be their new embassy in the UK, a mega embassy.

  • There have been concerns and objections from Conservative MPs, Labour-backed benches,

  • the US government even, who fear that this will be a spying base for the Chinese government.

  • But this week, the Prime Minister is expected to give the project the green light.

  • Should we be worried?

  • Is this an expanding bricks and mortar security threat right in the heart of London?

  • Can a story be both dramatic and about planning permission?

  • We will find out.

  • The story today is China's mega embassy, just a mega spy base.

  • My name is Cindy Yu, I'm a columnist for The Times and Sunday Times and I often write about China.

  • My name is Jerry Scott.

  • I'm the assistant political editor at The Times,