A decision on China's proposed mega embassy in London is expected on Monday or Tuesday, with Chinese officials and British diplomats in Beijing anticipating approval. The saga, ongoing since 2018, is widely expected to end with the British government giving the green light for construction. If approved, it would likely smooth relations ahead of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's expected visit to China at the end of January.
The embassy row has blocked the UK's plans to redevelop its dilapidated embassy in Beijing. Steve Tsang, director of the Soas China Institute, said the wrangling enabled Beijing to raise the controversy to block UK requests it was uncomfortable with. China's leader Xi Jinping raised the matter directly with Starmer in their first phone call in August 2024.
The process began in 2018 when China paid £255m for the Royal Mint Court site near the Tower of London. The deal was brokered by Eddie Lister, a close aide to Boris Johnson, who as foreign secretary wrote to China's top diplomat assuring the plans would be approved. However, Tower Hamlets council refused planning permission, and the government declined to intervene, leaving Beijing officials stunned that a local authority could impede state-to-state relations.
China reapplied for permission soon after Labour entered government. Ministers called in the decision after Xi raised the matter with Starmer. The application has been delayed several times but is widely expected to be approved before a 20 January deadline. MPs from across the political spectrum have opposed the application, though security services believe they can handle espionage risks from the enlarged site near data cables to the City of London.
If approved, the green light would smooth relations before Starmer's visit, the first by a UK prime minister since 2018 when Theresa May signed deals worth £9bn. However, other headaches remain, including an alleged spying scandal where a case against two men accused of spying for China was dropped, galvanising UK China hawks. China's ambassador has not commented.
