Security minister Dan Jarvis has told MPs that the approval of a new Chinese 'super-embassy' in London will bring 'clear security advantages', citing a letter from MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum and GCHQ director Anne Keast-Butler. The letter reportedly states that consolidating seven existing diplomatic sites into one embassy should improve security.
Jarvis was responding to shadow home secretary Chris Philp, who argued that the embassy would become a base for espionage and that the government was trading national security for economic links. Philp claimed the basement could be built close to underground cables carrying vital City data, and that China could legally refuse UK inspections during or after construction.
The minister defended the decision, saying the previous Conservative government had failed to balance security concerns with the need to maintain relations with China, the UK's second largest trading partner after Hong Kong. He accused the Tories of moving from a 'golden age' to an 'ice age' in their approach to Beijing.
Philp also alleged that the planning consent was linked to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer's upcoming visit to China and an economic deal, calling it a 'shameless capitulation to China's demands'. The government has not commented on these claims.
Separately, Downing Street confirmed it will not reverse the Chagos Islands deal with Mauritius, despite President Trump describing it as 'stupid'. The PM's spokesperson pointed to past US support from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said the deal secures the long-term operation of the Diego Garcia military base.
