China: Passport Checks At UK Heritage Spark Political Outcry
November 19, 2025
2:08 pm
UK approval for Chinese security officers to check visitor passports at a protected London heritage site triggers national security warnings and political backlash.
A decision allowing Chinese state security officials to conduct passport checks at a protected heritage site in central London has ignited a wave of criticism from security analysts and senior politicians, deepening tensions around Beijing’s proposed “Super-Embassy” in the British capital.
The checks will apply to visitors entering the ruins of St Mary Graces, a 14th-century Cistercian abbey founded by King Edward III in 1350. The site, designated as a scheduled ancient monument, lies inside the perimeter
