Sir Julian Smith

Sir Julian Smith

Conservative — Skipton and Ripon

Speaking in the House of Commons on 13 January 2026

Debate

Chinese Embassy

Contribution

The Minister talks about this being a planning decision, but essentially it is a political judgment. Many right hon. and hon. Members want to make strong representations to the Government and the National Security Adviser about the judgment call on getting a closer relationship with China and this embassy. The site of the proposed embassy is massive—I went around it over the past couple of days—and Mansell Street is really restricted, meaning it will be completely impossible to monitor what is going on there, so that judgment is wrong.

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