Britain approves ‘mega’ Chinese language embassy in London regardless of nationwide safety fears

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Britain’s authorities has green-lit plans for China to construct a “mega” embassy near London’s monetary district, regardless of warnings from lawmakers, residents and Chinese language dissidents-in-exile that the sprawling advanced may pose safety dangers.

China purchased the positioning at Royal Mint Court docket, the place Britain used to strike cash, for round $312 million in 2018. However a call on the plans for the brand new 20,000 square-meter (215,000 square-foot) embassy – which might grow to be China’s largest diplomatic outpost in Europe – was delayed thrice earlier than the federal government granted approval on Tuesday.

The delays are a measure of the British authorities’s uncertainty about its strategy to China. Britain needs China’s cash and diplomatic goodwill, however has lengthy been cautious about permitting Beijing to construct an embassy that may sit close to fiber-optic cables carrying delicate knowledge for monetary companies, and which some concern might be used to spy on Chinese language nationals residing in London.

The planning choice, a 240-page document , concluded that “the proposal complies with the event plan when taken as a complete,” and as such “planning permission and listed constructing consent must be granted.”

Days earlier than the federal government’s approval, the Telegraph , a British newspaper, printed what it mentioned have been unredacted plans exhibiting that China intends to construct a posh of 208 rooms beneath the embassy. One of many rooms, the paper mentioned, would sit instantly alongside and just a few toes away from fiber-optic cables that carry hundreds of thousands of British folks’s e mail visitors and monetary knowledge.

Alicia Kearns, the shadow nationwide safety minister for the opposition Conservative Celebration, warned final week that, if granted, the plans “would give the Chinese language Communist Celebration a launchpad for financial warfare in opposition to our nation” and “create a each day headache for our safety providers.”

MI5, Britain’s home spy service, has not raised any formal objection to the embassy plans, regardless of warning about broader threats from China. After his annual threat update in October, Ken McCallum, the top of the company, advised reporters: “Do Chinese language state actors current a UK nationwide safety menace? The reply is, after all, sure they do, on daily basis.”

MI5 additionally issued a uncommon alert in November, warning lawmakers that China’s intelligence providers are utilizing LinkedIn to pose as recruiters to focus on individuals who work in Parliament. The Chinese language embassy in London dismissed the declare as “malicious slander.”

Britain’s choice might have been influenced by the truth that it wants China’s approval to revamp its personal embassy in Beijing. China has reportedly stalled the British plans whereas looking for the go-ahead for its new London embassy, which is able to enable it to maneuver from its present outpost close to Regent’s Park.

However Britain additionally feared that denying China permission to construct its new embassy may hurt commerce relations between the 2 nations. In dire want of excellent financial information, Keir Starmer – the primary British prime minister in six years to satisfy with Chinese language chief Xi Jinping – referred to as in 2024 for a “constant, sturdy, respectful” relationship with China and larger enterprise cooperation between the 2 nations.

The financial file has, nevertheless, been blended. China was Britain’s fourth largest buying and selling accomplice within the 4 quarters to the top of Q2 2025, accounting for five.5% of complete British commerce, however British exports of products to China decreased by 23% over that very same interval, official figures present – a fall highlighted by Kearns.

“Surrendering our safety for Chinese language commerce was all the time a foul coverage, however surrendering our safety whereas exports plummet is, frankly, madness,” she advised parliament.

Xi had taken a private curiosity within the new embassy, elevating the matter instantly with Starmer throughout their first cellphone name in 2024. After the dialogue, Starmer “referred to as in” the planning software from the native council, which had denied permission in 2022, giving the federal government the ultimate say over the mission. A spokesman for China’s International Ministry additionally warned that, if permission was denied, Britain “shall bear all penalties.”

Plans for the brand new embassy have additionally alarmed Chinese language nationals, together with Hong Kongers and pro-democracy campaigners residing in London. Carmen Lau , an activist with the Hong Kong Democracy Council who fled to London in 2021, advised CNN final 12 months that she feared the embassy might be used to spy on and harass opponents of China’s authorities residing in exile.

The Hong Kong Police Pressure has charged Lau with secession and collusion with a international authorities and issued an arrest warrant for her, later providing a reward of $1 million Hong Kong {dollars} (about $128,000) to anybody who can present details about her “or take her to the Chinese language embassy.”

Final 12 months, spokespeople for the Chinese language embassy mentioned they “deplored” Britain’s repeated postponement of the choice, accusing the UK of exhibiting “a complete lack of the spirit of contract.”