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The UK government has once again deferred its decision regarding China’s application to construct a new, expansive embassy in London.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed, who was initially expected to render a verdict by October 21, has extended the deadline to December 10.
This marks the second postponement in the government’s decision-making process concerning the controversial site, the location of which has raised concerns about potential espionage risks.
The initial deadline for a ruling was set for September 9, following the transfer of authority from Tower Hamlets, the local council, to government ministers the previous year.
China acquired the Royal Mint Court site, near the Tower of London, earmarked for the proposed embassy, for £255 million in 2018. Spanning 20,000 square meters, the envisioned complex would be the largest embassy in Europe, should the project proceed.
The pending decision regarding the embassy’s approval is already under intense scrutiny, owing to security concerns related to the plan’s implications, encompassing the building’s location, size, and design.
The site’s proximity to fiber optic cables transmitting communications to and from financial institutions in the City of London has fueled worries that Chinese operatives could exploit the location to tap into these cables for eavesdropping purposes.
Recent weeks have seen further questions emerge regarding the nature of the threat posed by Beijing, particularly following the collapse of the case against two individuals accused of spying for China.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) unexpectedly dropped charges against Christopher Cash, 30, a parliamentary researcher, and Christopher Berry, 33, an academic, last month. Both men have denied the allegations.
The government’s initial delay was prompted by a request from Reed’s predecessor, Angela Rayner, after she sought clarification from China regarding the redaction of certain rooms within its planning documents, citing “security reasons.”
Planning consultants representing the Chinese embassy responded that China “does not consider that, as a matter of principle, it is necessary or appropriate to provide full internal layout plans.”
Rayner subsequently corresponded with stakeholders involved in the consultation, including China, the Metropolitan Police, and a local residents’ association, granting them additional time to respond to the plans, thereby pushing the deadline back to October 21.
Reed, who assumed the housing portfolio following Rayner’s resignation last month, has now requested more time before a final decision is reached.
In a letter obtained by the BBC, the housing department attributed the need for additional time to the “detailed nature” of the responses received thus far.
The department further stated that it is unable to establish a new deadline for fresh comments until it receives outstanding responses from the Foreign Office and Home Office.
The proposed complex would encompass offices, an extensive basement area, housing for 200 staff members, and a new tunnel connecting the Embassy House to a separate building within the embassy grounds.
Beijing’s application for the embassy was initially rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022, citing safety and security concerns.
An identical application was resubmitted to the council in August 2024, a month after Labour assumed power. The government then assumed control of the decision-making process in October.
The Chinese Embassy in the UK has previously stated that the new complex would enhance “mutually beneficial cooperation” between China and Britain.
In a new diplomatic note released in conjunction with Reed’s letter explaining the rationale for the latest delay, a Chinese official asserted that objections to the site were “either ill-founded or unjustified.”
The Conservatives have urged Labour ministers to reject the application, accusing them of attempting to “silence the warnings about the threats to national security” posed by the embassy site.
The Liberal Democrats have similarly called for the application to be blocked, imploring the government to “stand up to China.”
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Calum Miller stated that it would be “insane” for ministers to permit the embassy development to proceed, in light of warnings from the head of MI5 on Thursday regarding the threat of Chinese espionage.
Boris Johnson’s former chief advisor, Dominic Cummings, asserted that MI5 and MI6 had cautioned him that China was “trying to build a spy center underneath the embassy” during his tenure at Downing Street.
Speaking on ITV’s Talking Politics podcast, Cummings stated that the agencies had informed him that allowing the embassy to be built would be “an extremely bad idea.”
In his annual speech, Sir Ken McCallum stated that “Chinese state actors” presented a national security threat to the UK “every day.”
He added that the UK needed to “defend itself resolutely” against China while also being able to “seize the opportunities” from having a relationship with Beijing.
The two were accused of passing information to an agent who forwarded it to a high-ranking Chinese official.
The government is facing questions about why the case collapsed just weeks before a trial was due to go ahead.
Tim Loughton says he is still sanctioned by China despite no longer being an MP.
As the trade war continues to escalate, China has hit back at Trump by suspending exports of rare earth minerals.
Boris Johnson’s ex-Downing Street aide says Beijing obtained “vast amounts” of “secret” data.
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