China's proposed mega embassy near the Tower of London is sparking concerns among politicians, but British spies are taking a different view.
According to officials, modern technology has made embassies less relevant in terms of espionage. Instead of operating from diplomatic outposts, China's intelligence agents will be working from the new complex as "radars", highlighting contacts of potential interest and getting to know people. However, this is not considered serious business by spies, who argue that any embassy is a magnet for attention and surveillance.
The main concern seems to be psychological warfare, with officials saying that having one site makes it easier for MI5 to monitor Chinese officials. British diplomats already operate under the assumption that their lives are being watched 24/7 in Beijing or Moscow, where they have worked.
Former defence attache John Foreman described how Russian agents would track his movements and put pressure on him to lose judgment. He said that "some people got so intimidated they wouldn't leave the embassy".
Critics of the mega embassy argue that its size poses a greater threat, but former senior Whitehall officials say that's not the case. They point out that China's espionage threats come from within the country itself, where hacking operations and recruitment efforts are being carried out.
Recent incidents in the UK demonstrate this, with attempts to interfere in parliamentary proceedings occurring outside of the embassy. A former senior official said, "The embassy is only a small part of the total espionage threat from China; we need to be more alert to where the real dangers are coming from".
According to officials, modern technology has made embassies less relevant in terms of espionage. Instead of operating from diplomatic outposts, China's intelligence agents will be working from the new complex as "radars", highlighting contacts of potential interest and getting to know people. However, this is not considered serious business by spies, who argue that any embassy is a magnet for attention and surveillance.
The main concern seems to be psychological warfare, with officials saying that having one site makes it easier for MI5 to monitor Chinese officials. British diplomats already operate under the assumption that their lives are being watched 24/7 in Beijing or Moscow, where they have worked.
Former defence attache John Foreman described how Russian agents would track his movements and put pressure on him to lose judgment. He said that "some people got so intimidated they wouldn't leave the embassy".
Critics of the mega embassy argue that its size poses a greater threat, but former senior Whitehall officials say that's not the case. They point out that China's espionage threats come from within the country itself, where hacking operations and recruitment efforts are being carried out.
Recent incidents in the UK demonstrate this, with attempts to interfere in parliamentary proceedings occurring outside of the embassy. A former senior official said, "The embassy is only a small part of the total espionage threat from China; we need to be more alert to where the real dangers are coming from".
2022 had like 3 major incidents in uk parliament alone btw 
and then you got this new embassy thing... sounds like they're trying to be all sneaky but also kinda obvious? china's espionage threats are legit tho, like 70% of chinese hackers have already been caught 
what worries me is how much we actually know about their internal operations 
btw did you see that graph on global economic influence? china's growing at a rate of 6.3% yoy while the west is stuck @ 1.8% 
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. While British diplomats may feel like they're under constant scrutiny already, the mega embassy's presence could indeed amplify these tensions 
. I think it's essential for policymakers to consider the bigger picture – China's domestic espionage efforts are a far more pressing concern 
British diplomats already know they're being watched 
in Beijing or Moscow 
psychological warfare 
can be super damaging too 
China's espionage threats are mostly from within 
the country itself is where the real danger lies 
, let's not focus on just the embassy 
but seriously though, if china's already causing problems in parliament without even needing an embassy... that's what's really scary 
It just feels like China's playing a game of cat-and-mouse with the UK, trying to outsmart us at every turn. But are we buying it? Shouldn't we be focusing on where the real threats are coming from, rather than just worrying about the embassy itself? 
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they think it's just gonna make them targets 
chinese intel agents working from a complex as "radars" sounds like some serious Bond villain stuff 
but let's be real, british spies are all about the 24/7 surveillance life 
. i'm more concerned about those hacking operations happening right under our noses – who needs a mega embassy when you have a team of cyber ninjas working for you? 
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? working 24/7 with knowing their every move being watched 
is already a nightmare. and now china's proposing this mega embassy thing and it's like, hello, more pressure on them 
. and the critics saying its size poses a greater threat... yeah no kidding 
... it's like, they already know their lives are being watched in beijing or moscow 
? 