Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to give the green light to a new, supersized Chinese embassy at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, within days. The approval is set to come after neither MI5 nor MI6 lodged formal objections to the proposal, with an announcement anticipated ahead of the prime minister’s planned visit to Beijing later this month.
However, the plans have triggered concern among Britain’s closest allies. Multiple sources said the UK embassy in Washington DC briefed the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs in an effort to reassure American lawmakers that the embassy’s proximity to key communications infrastructure would not compromise shared intelligence.
While officials have insisted that no sensitive government data passes through the cables, they have acknowledged that the infrastructure carries significant financial data linked to the City of London, as well as email and messaging traffic for millions of internet users.
The Sunday Times previously reported that the White House had privately warned Downing Street against approving the embassy, citing fears that adversaries could exploit critical infrastructure belonging to a close intelligence partner. A senior US official was quoted as describing the plan as a potential national security risk.
Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, criticised the government’s handling of the issue, accusing ministers of initially denying the existence of the cables and attempting to discredit journalists who exposed the story. He said the issue raised serious concerns not only for UK security but also for that of allied nations.
Several MPs, including members of the governing Labour Party, have urged the prime minister to block the development. Sarah Champion, chair of the Commons international development committee, said multiple government agencies and international partners had raised alarms, adding that China is consistently identified in security briefings as a hostile state.
Alex Sobel, the Labour MP for Leeds Central & Headingley, warned that the new embassy could intensify transnational repression against members of the Chinese diaspora in the UK, including Hongkongers and Uighurs.
Other MPs have written to Environment and Housing Secretary Steve Reed, who is expected to formally announce the decision, urging him to reject the proposal.
Downing Street has argued that consolidating China’s diplomatic operations on a single site could offer security advantages. However, critics point to reports that plans for the embassy include more than 200 secure rooms and structural changes that would bring the building closer to critical communications cables.
Alicia Kearns, the shadow home secretary, warned that access to the infrastructure could give Beijing a platform for economic and cyber warfare, calling on the government to block the project.
The deadline for a final decision is January 20. The government has reiterated that national security remains its top priority and said all relevant agencies have been involved in assessing the risks.
The Chinese embassy in London has been contacted for comment.
