Rotherham MP Sarah Champion says Chinese mega-embassy should not be allowed
ROTHERHAM MP Sarah Champion has emerged as one of Parliament’s most outspoken voices on China, driven by concerns about security, human rights and foreign interference associated with the world's second most powerful nation.
Her position is viewed by some in Westminster circles as exceeding the UK government’s currently stated approach.
Champion, Labour chair of the International Development Committee, has been vocal over plans for a new Chinese “mega-embassy” in central London, an application which could be ruled on this week.
Speaking during a Commons debate, Champion said: “Multiple Government agencies and Departments have raised concerns about this mega-embassy.”
She told MPs that “every security briefing I have identifies China as a hostile state to the UK.”
She added: “I am in no doubt that this mega-embassy should not be allowed to go ahead.”
Champion urged ministers to “stand up to bullies, not reward them,” arguing that approval would send the wrong signal given China’s actions overseas.
Champion cited Beijing’s record in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and raised concerns about intimidation beyond China’s borders.
The MP has also linked her stance to personal experience.
She has said publicly that her parliamentary laptop was compromised by spyware she believes was connected to Chinese intelligence. While that claim has not been independently detailed in public, it sits alongside official warnings about foreign state interference.
Beyond the embassy issue, Champion has pressed for tougher safeguards on human rights in UK policy.
Her campaigning contributed to changes in procurement rules designed to prevent public money being spent on supply chains linked to forced labour in Xinjiang.
Ministers, however, have struck a more cautious tone.
Responding to the same Commons debate, the government said it would take a “consistent and pragmatic approach” to China, balancing national security concerns with diplomatic obligations and economic engagement.
That difference in emphasis explains why Champion’s language is viewed by some as more forthright than the official line.
One of Rotherham’s other MPs, John Healey, the UK Defence Secretary, has publicly addressed China in broad strategic terms.
Healey has warned against complacency over China’s military and cyber capabilities, but has framed the issue within alliance-based defence and deterrence.
Together, the two Rotherham MPs illustrate how global tensions with China are being debated from different perspectives – one rooted in parliamentary scrutiny, the other in the overarching responsibilities of government.