Dec 4 – The UK government has once again postponed its decision on whether to approve a proposed Chinese “super embassy” in central London, extending the deadline to January amid ongoing national security and political sensitivities.
The ruling, which had been expected on 10 December, will now be made on 20 January, according to a letter from the Planning Inspectorate.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy criticised the latest delay, saying: “We strongly urge the UK side to approve our planning application quickly to avoid further undermining the mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides.”
Despite the repeated postponements, the government is still understood to be leaning towards approving the scheme, which would create what is widely expected to be the largest Chinese embassy in Europe. Both MI5 and MI6 are reported to have raised no objections to the plans.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed has said he needs more time to consider fresh representations submitted by the Foreign Office and the Home Office.
In a joint letter to the Planning Inspectorate, the home and foreign secretaries indicated that earlier national security concerns had been addressed after the Chinese government gave assurances that all its diplomatic premises in London—excluding the ambassador’s residence—would be consolidated on the new embassy site near the Tower of London.
The latest correspondence sent to ministers and other “interested parties”, including the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), states that the government aims “to issue the decision as quickly as possible” on or before 20 January. IPAC has repeatedly warned against approving the project.
Luke de Pulford, executive director of IPAC, said the repeated delays were “entirely of the government’s own making”, adding: “Residents and dissidents have endured months of dithering as the government tries to choose between UK national security and upsetting Beijing.”
This is the third time the decision has been delayed under the Labour government. Mr Reed, who took office as housing secretary in September, had already pushed back an earlier deadline from October, arguing that he needed more time to scrutinise the plans. An earlier delay was ordered by his predecessor, Angela Rayner, after China resubmitted its planning application shortly after Labour’s general election victory.
The project, earmarked for the former Royal Mint site close to the Tower of London, has drawn strong opposition from local residents, human rights campaigners and Hong Kong democracy activists. Critics fear the complex could operate as a major intelligence hub and increase surveillance of dissidents who have sought refuge in the UK.
Concerns have also been raised about areas of the embassy plans that were redacted “for security reasons”, with some activists warning these spaces could be misused to intimidate or detain opponents of Beijing.
The latest delay comes less than a day after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer warned that China poses “real national security threats to the United Kingdom”. He insisted that a firm approach on security is essential if the UK is to maintain a consistent and credible policy towards Beijing, saying government strategy “cannot continue to blow hot and cold” on China while seeking economic opportunities.
