Wokingham Borough Council has become the first council in the country to give its support to the concerns of Hongkongers over the building of a Chinese ‘super embassy’ in London.
A motion at Thursday night’s full council meeting, introduced by Cllr Andy Ng Siu-hong, noted how Wokingham is home to a growing population of Hongkongers, many of whom deeply value freedom, democracy, and human rights, and are concerned about the influence of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in the UK.
The former Hong Kong district councillor, said the CCP plans to build a record-breaking, massive ‘super embassy’ on the site of the former Royal Mint in London.
“This proposal has sparked widespread concerns across society regarding potential overseas police stations, transnational repression centres, espionage bases, lack of protest space, and broader implications for UK-China relations, among others.
“These concerns have been shared by cross-party MPs, media outlets, local residents, and Hongkongers across the UK.”
Cllr Ng, and others from Wokingham, recently gathered to protest against the plan.
The motion, which was agreed by councillors, will now see the council write to the deputy prime minister, urging her to take the right to protest seriously, ensuring a safe and adequate space for demonstrations for all residents, including those from Wokingham, and to consider the concerns of the UK public, including the large number of Hongkongers in Wokingham and beyond, and to reject the ‘Chinese super embassy’ proposal.
Cllr Ng, who represents Maiden Erlegh and Whitegates, former Hong Kong district councillor, expressed his thanks for the support he received.
He said: “This motion is about our democratic values—one of the things that connects all the people in this chamber and in this great country.
“As we know, Wokingham has a growing Hongkonger population, including myself, who witnessed the crackdown in Hong Kong.
“Many of us deeply value freedom, democracy, and human rights, and are concerned about the Chinese Communist Party’s influence in the UK.
“You may ask what is the purpose of this motion?
“Though we are not the minister who makes the final decision, as elected representatives, we have a duty to speak out on the concerns of the people.
“Becoming the first local council to pass a motion and say ‘no’ to the Chinese ‘super embassy’ is symbolic.
“Just this week, I’ve already heard from another council that may follow our lead.
“I hope that, together, we can raise awareness about this issue, and ultimately, stop the Chinese ‘super embassy’.”
Seconding the motion Cllr Stephen Conway, leader of the council, said: “We are fortunate to live in a country with constitutional checks and balances that prevent the abuse of power and protect our liberties.
“We are less fortunate to live in a world where those protections against misrule and loss of liberty are increasingly under pressure, even in countries that have a proud record of creating important constitutional safeguards.
“Hongkongers make a great and welcome contribution to our community here in Wokingham. They should be allowed to continue doing so without fearing that the kind of oppression that forced them to leave their homeland has followed them to this country.
“There is already evidence that the Chinese authorities are undertaking surveillance of Hongkongers in Britain, including in Wokingham Borough.
“A new ‘super embassy’ in London will no doubt make that surveillance easier.
“Its physical presence will also be an intimidating reminder for our Hong Kong residents of the long reach of the Chinese state.
“Our country’s government must, of course, continue to engage constructively with China whenever it can, but we owe it to our Hong Kong residents to stand with them, and be clear that the values they support are our values – values that we hold dear.”
