China's controversial plans for a new “super embassy” in London are set to be approved by Sir Keir Starmer, according to reports.
The new embassy in Tower Hamlets is said to have been given the blessing of Britain's domestic and foreign security services.
According to The Times, the Home Office and the Foreign Office will not raise any formal objections to the plan – provided there are "mitigations" to protect national security.
A decision on the plan is expected to be announced on December 10.
The Standard revealed earlier this year how the Foreign Office and Home Office had ditched demands for security changes at the proposed embassy as Beijing piled pressure on the Government to approve it.
Local residents are threatening High Court action if the Government gives consent for the huge new diplomatic mission.
China bought the site of the proposed new embassy, near the Tower of London, for £255 million in 2018.
Plans for the embassy were previously rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022, with the Chinese opting not to appeal.
However, the application was resubmitted by China shortly after Sir Keir Starmer’s election victory last year, apparently believing Labour may be more receptive to the new embassy, and the plans were called in so ministers would make the final decision.
But the decision will now be made amid the growing warnings about Chinese spies targeting Parliament.
The Prime Minister was asked about reports he will approve the embassy after arriving in South Africa for the G20 summit on Friday.
He insisted he would "robustly" protect the UK's national interests.
He also defended his approach to dealing with Beijing, which was to "co-operate where we can and challenge where we must, particularly on national security".
Sir Keir met with South African president and G20 summit host Cyril Ramaphosa after touching down in Johannesburg for the trip, which he will use to promote support for Ukraine and make business deals ahead of next week's crunch Budget.
The Prime Minister said it was "really important to be" at the gathering shunned by Donald Trump and announced deals worth £400 million for trains, planes and submarines.
Downing Street defended Sir Keir's travel - coming days before the Budget is expected to raise taxes and despite the US president's absence - saying he would use it to shore up support for Ukraine as Washington has been drafting a peace plan with Moscow that would reportedly require Kyiv to give up territory and weapons.
Sir Keir, French president Emmanuel Macron and German chancellor Friedrich Merz are set to speak to Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky about the US-Russia developments later on Friday.
The November 22-23 leaders' summit was threatened to be overshadowed by the boycott of the US president and American officials over widely rejected claims that white people are being persecuted in South Africa.
