🔗 Share this article

A ruling on whether to authorize Chinese proposal for a new substantial consulate in London has been postponed again by the administration.

Housing Minister Steve Reed had been due to rule on the proposal by 21 October, but the cut-off date has been moved forward to 10 December.

It is the second time the authorities has deferred a decision on the contentious site, whose location has triggered worries it could present an spying threat.

A decision had originally been due by 9 September after ministers gained oversight of the procedure from Tower Hamlets, the regional government, last year.

Security Concerns Highlighted

China bought the location of the proposed recent embassy, at Royal Mint Court, close to the Tower of London, for £255m in 2018. At 20,000 square metres, the suggested development would be the biggest embassy in Europe assuming approval.

The outstanding determination on whether to approve the new embassy was previously under detailed review because of worries about the safety consequences of the proposal, including the position, dimensions and layout of the building.

The location is near data transmission cables carrying communications to and from financial institutions in the City of London. Concerns have been highlighted that Chinese operatives could utilize the property to access the lines and listen in.

Latest Changes

More concerns have been highlighted in the past few weeks about the type of the risk posed by Beijing, following the termination of the prosecution against two men charged of spying for China.

The Crown Prosecution Service surprisingly discontinued prosecutions against government studies analyst Christopher Cash, 30, and scholar Christopher Berry, 33, last month. Both men deny the accusations.

Previous Delays

The administration's initial postponement was sought by Reed's predecessor Angela Rayner, after she requested China to detail why particular spaces within its architectural plans had been redacted for "safety concerns".

Development advisors employed by the Beijing diplomatic mission had replied that China "does not feel that, as a matter of principle, it is required or appropriate to furnish full internal layout plans".

Rayner had sent correspondence to parties engaged with the review, including China, the London police and a community organization, to give them more time to answer to the plans and setting the time limit back to 21 October.

Present Circumstances

Reed, who assumed the housing role following Rayner's departure last month, has now asked for more time before a ultimate ruling requires completion.

In a document examined by media outlets, the residential authority said more time was necessary due to the "thorough quality" of responses received so far.

It added that it was not able to establish a fresh cut-off date for new responses until it receives awaiting answers from the Diplomatic Service and Domestic Affairs Department.

Planned Amenities

The planned facility would contain work spaces, a extensive subterranean section, accommodation for 200 employees, and a recent underground connection to join the Embassy House to a separate building on the consulate property.

Political Reactions

Beijing's request for the embassy was initially rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022 over safety and security concerns.

It submitted again an same request to the authority in August 2024, one month after the administration changed.

The Beijing Diplomatic Mission in the UK has formerly mentioned the fresh facility would enhance "reciprocal advantageous partnership" between China and Britain.

In a new diplomatic note issued together with Reed's correspondence explaining his motivations for the newest deferral, a Chinese official said oppositions to the site were "either ill-founded or unreasonable".

Critical Perspectives

The Conservatives said Government officials should throw out the application, and accused them of trying to "suppress the alerts about the threats to state security" created by the diplomatic property.

The Political Party also requested the request to be blocked, encouraging the administration to "resist China".

International Relations representative Calum Miller said it would be "crazy" for government officials to authorize the embassy development to proceed, after alerts from the chief of MI5 on Thursday about the danger of China intelligence gathering.

Security Worries

A previous senior consultant to Boris Johnson said MI5 and MI6 had warned him China was "seeking to establish a monitoring hub below the embassy," when he was employed at Downing Street.

Remarks made on a political podcast, the consultant said the services had told him that authorizing the embassy to be erected would be "a highly unwise choice".

In his annual speech, the protection head said "Beijing government agents" constituted a country protection risk to the UK "each day".

He stated that the UK required to "guard itself strongly" against China, while also being able to "capitalize on the chances" from sustaining ties with Beijing.