UK clears construction of ‘mega’ Chinese Embassy in London, delayed over national security concerns

The new embassy would replace China’s main diplomatic premises in Portland Place in the Marylebone district of central London. This has been the site of China’s embassy since 1877, when it was opened as the country’s first permanent overseas diplomatic mission.

The then-British Foreign Minister, Boris Johnson, had described it as China’s “largest overseas diplomatic investment”.

In 2021, China submitted its plans to redevelop the ​site to the Tower Hamlets council in East London.

Spying, national security concerns

However, it ran into trouble after many raised concerns that the proposed super embassy would be used as a base for espionage as well as pose a heightened threat of surveillance and intimidation of Chinese dissidents in exile.

Opponents also pointed out that the huge site sits too close to underground fiber optic cables carrying sensitive financial information between London’s two main financial districts.

According to British media reports, the 20,000 square meter complex would include 208 secret basement rooms close to the data cables.

In 2022, Tower Hamlets council unexpectedly refused to grant permission for the project, saying it would impact on the lives of residents.

China submitted the proposal again in 2024, with Xi Jinping pushing the case directly with Keir Starmer. Despite this, in 2025, the government repeatedly postponed the decision on it after multiple cases of alleged Chinese spying and political interference underlined alarms about the proposed embassy.

What UK Government said

On clearing the proposal now, the British government said it had worked “with policing, and other relevant partners, to ensure that the breadth of national security issues associated with this planning application have been considered and addressed.”

The government said that “no bodies with responsibility for national security … have raised concerns or objected to the proposal on the basis of the proximity of the cables or other underground infrastructure.”

Starmer has stressed that while protecting national security is non-negotiable, Britain needs to keep up diplomatic dialogue and cooperation with the Asian superpower.

Conservative foreign affairs spokeswoman Priti Patel criticised the government’s decision.

“Keir Starmer has sold off our national security to the Chinese Communist Party with his shameful super embassy surrender,” Patel said.