🔗 Share this article

A ruling on whether to sanction China's application for a fresh large diplomatic complex in London has been delayed once more by the authorities.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed had been scheduled to decide on the application by 21 October, but the cut-off date has been extended to 10 December.

It is the second occasion the administration has deferred a determination on the disputed location, whose placement has generated worries it could pose an intelligence gathering danger.

A determination had first been expected by 9 September after government officials gained oversight of the operation from Tower Hamlets, the local council, last year.

Protection Issues Highlighted

China bought the location of the proposed new embassy, at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, for £255m in 2018. At 20,000 square metres, the proposed complex would be the most substantial embassy in Europe if it goes ahead.

The awaiting ruling on whether to sanction the recent embassy was already under intense examination because of apprehensions about the security implications of the scheme, including the location, dimensions and design of the building.

The property is close to data transmission cables transmitting messages to and from economic establishments in the City of London. Apprehensions have been brought up that Chinese operatives could employ the site to access the connections and eavesdrop.

Current Updates

Further questions have been brought up in the past few weeks about the nature of the threat presented by Beijing, following the collapse of the case against two men charged of espionage for China.

The Crown Prosecution Service unforeseeably discontinued prosecutions against government studies analyst Christopher Cash, 30, and university researcher Christopher Berry, 33, last month. Both men deny the allegations.

Prior Deferrals

The administration's first delay was asked for by Reed's predecessor Angela Rayner, after she inquired China to explain why some rooms within its architectural plans had been blanked out for "security reasons".

Planning consultants working for the Chinese embassy had replied that China "does not feel that, as a fundamental issue, it is essential or appropriate to supply complete interior designs".

Rayner had responded in writing to parties participating in the review, including China, the Met police and a neighborhood group, to allow additional time to answer to the plans and placing the deadline forward to 21 October.

Present Circumstances

Reed, who acquired the accommodation position following Rayner's resignation last month, has now asked for more time before a conclusive determination requires completion.

In a correspondence reviewed by media outlets, the residential authority said more time was required due to the "detailed nature" of answers obtained to date.

It stated that it was not able to determine another time limit for additional feedback until it obtains pending responses from the Foreign Office and Home Office.

Planned Amenities

The suggested development would contain administrative areas, a large basement area, accommodation for 200 personnel, and a new tunnel to connect the Embassy House to a distinct structure on the consulate property.

Official Statements

Beijing's application for the embassy was originally denied by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022 over safety and security concerns.

It submitted again an same proposal to the council in August 2024, one month after the new government took office.

The Chinese Embassy in the UK has previously said the fresh facility would improve "reciprocal advantageous partnership" between China and Britain.

In a fresh official communication published accompanying Reed's document detailing his motivations for the newest deferral, a Chinese official said objections to the property were "either unsubstantiated or unwarranted".

Alternative Opinions

The Conservatives said Labour ministers should dismiss the proposal, and charged them of trying to "muffle the warnings about the threats to state security" created by the diplomatic property.

The Alternative Group also requested the application to be prevented, encouraging the administration to "stand up to China".

Foreign Affairs spokesperson Calum Miller said it would be "irrational" for ministers to allow the embassy development to proceed, after cautions from the director of MI5 on Thursday about the risk of Chinese espionage.

Security Worries

A ex-top counselor to the previous leader said MI5 and MI6 had alerted him China was "trying to build a monitoring hub beneath the embassy," when he was working at Downing Street.

Speaking on a government program, the advisor said the organizations had advised him that authorizing the embassy to be constructed would be "a very poor decision".

In his annual speech, the intelligence chief said "Chinese state actors" constituted a country protection risk to the UK "every day".

He stated that the UK needed to "defend itself resolutely" against China, while also being able to "take advantage of the possibilities" from sustaining ties with Beijing.