The UK government on Tuesday gave the green light for China to build a “mega embassy” in the historic heart of London, eight years after the process began and despite fierce opposition from residents and rights groups.
The 20,000-square-metre (235,000-square-foot) site is set to become the largest embassy complex in the UK by area, and one of the largest embassies in the heart of a Western capital.
But it could still face legal challenges.
Housing minister Steve Reed’s decision on Tuesday to grant planning permission came after multiple delays over national security concerns.
There have also been protests by activists and China-hawks, who fear the sprawling site could be used to surveil and harass dissidents.
Reed said the decision was “now final unless it is successfully challenged in court”.
A government spokesperson said: “Intelligence agencies have been involved throughout the process and an extensive range of measures have been developed to manage any risks.”
“Following extensive negotiations in recent months, the Chinese government has agreed to consolidate its seven current sites in London into one site, bringing clear security advantages.”
MPs, local residents and campaigners who have opposed the plans were quick to condemn the approval, and were to host a press conference to address concerns later on Tuesday.
“This is a terrible decision that ignores the appalling brutality of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” said Conservative MP Iain Duncan Smith.
“It practices forced labour at home and spies on the UK and uses cyber attacks to damage our internal security.”
“The residents are determined to keep fighting today’s decision,” said Mark Nygate from the Royal Mint Court Residents’ Association, which has said it intends to challenge the decision.
– ‘Really afraid’ –
The plans have been criticised domestically for months.
The right-wing Daily Telegraph said last week it had obtained unredacted plans showing the site would house 208 underground rooms, including a “hidden chamber”.
The newspaper said Beijing planned to demolish and rebuild a wall between the embassy and sensitive underground internet cables.
But the new embassy also appears to be a sticking point in bilateral ties.
China has voiced frustration at the delays and raised the matter with Britain’s Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer early on.
Starmer, who is seeking to reset ties with the economic powerhouse, is expected to visit China later this month, according to British media.
The trip has not yet been confirmed by Downing Street.
If it goes ahead, it would be the first visit by a UK prime minister since 2018.
Ties between London and Beijing fell to new lows under the then Conservative government, which was ousted by Labour in 2024.
While the embassy approval should help boost relations, other concerns over alleged Chinese espionage activity in Britain and a rights crackdown in Hong Kong could still complicate matters.
Last month, Starmer acknowledged that while China provided significant economic opportunities for the UK, it also posed “real national security threats”.
There have been multiple protests against the embassy plans in London, with hundreds gathering outside the proposed site at the weekend.
A protester in London who gave his name only as Brandon, saying he feared reprisals, told AFP on Saturday he thought the plans raised a “lot of concerns”.
“I don’t think it’s good for anyone except the Chinese government,” said the 23-year-old bank employee, who moved to the United Kingdom from Hong Kong.
Clara, a protester also originally from Hong Kong, said she was “really afraid of transnational repression that China can impose on us”.
The head of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Luke de Pulford, previously said the government would face an “embarrassing and potentially catastrophic” legal challenge from local residents if the plans were approved.
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