China has been given permission to build a vast new embassy in the heart of London despite criticism from MPs and campaigners that it will be used as a base for spying and security crackdowns.
Local Government Secretary Steve Reed approved the plans for the building at Royal Mint Court, a site near the Tower of London.
The decision removes a diplomatic hurdle in the relationship with Xi Jinping’s government, clearing the way for Sir Keir Starmer to make a widely-expected visit to China – possibly within weeks.
But critics of the scheme plan to challenge the decision in the courts, with local residents raising money to launch a judicial review against the project.
Luke de Pulford, head of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, told the Press Association: “Years of campaigning about the obvious and manifold risks posed by this embassy development have not been enough to outweigh the UK Government’s desire for Beijing’s money.”
The decision comes despite a call from MPs and peers on the Labour-led Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy to reject the plans, warning the embassy – the biggest in Europe – would “create a hub for expanded intelligence-gathering and intimidation operations”.
