The UK government has postponed a decision on whether to grant planning permission for a proposed Chinese 'super-embassy' in London, pushing the deadline to 21 October. Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, who also serves as housing secretary, was originally set to decide on 9 September but cited the need for more time to review the plans for the 20,000-square-metre complex at Royal Mint Court in east London.
The delay follows concerns over redacted drawings in the building's plans. Rayner had given the Chinese embassy two weeks to provide additional details after noting that two proposed buildings—the cultural exchange building and Embassy House—had been 'greyed out' in the submissions. The planning consultancy representing China responded that it was 'neither necessary nor appropriate' to provide full internal layout plans, stating that the unredacted drawings sufficiently identified main uses.
The proposal has faced fierce opposition from local residents and campaigners concerned about Beijing's human rights record in Hong Kong and Xinjiang. Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, criticised the response, saying the explanations were 'far from satisfactory' and warning that dissidents visiting the site would be on Chinese land, vulnerable to capture.
The Chinese embassy in the UK urged the government to approve the application without delay, calling it an international obligation to support diplomatic premises. China purchased the Royal Mint Court site for £255 million in 2018, but plans stalled after Tower Hamlets council refused permission in 2022. The Labour government took over the decision last summer, and the issue has become a key point in UK-China diplomatic relations.
