London: China is planning an embassy on land with a royal previous. Residents need King Charles to intervene

London: China is planning an embassy on land with a royal past. Residents want King Charles to intervene

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London
CNN
 — 

Residents of an apartment complex that sits on a historic parcel of land opposite the Tower of London want Britain’s King Charles to buy it back, claiming that its current owner, China, will turn it into a hub for shadowy diplomatic activity.

The British monarchy sold Royal Mint Court, a 5.4-acre plot that was once home to the facility that manufactured Britain’s coinage, to a property company in 2010. Beijing bought the site in 2018, and now plans to invest several hundreds of millions of dollars transforming it into its new embassy in the United Kingdom.

The local council, Tower Hamlets, is due on Thursday to decide on proposals for the site, which consists largely of decommissioned offices and a grand, 19th century building constructed for the Royal Mint. If the plans – drawn up by architect David Chipperfield – are approved, the site will become one of…

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