The UK government has approved plans for a large new Chinese embassy in London despite security concerns raised by critics.
Security experts and opposition figured had warned that the site could pose intelligence risks but ministers said those concerns were carefully assessed.
The plans, which involve redeveloping the two-century-old Royal Mint Court site, had faced prolonged delays due to objections from local residents, MPs and Hong Kong pro-democracy activists in the UK.
Now, Security Minister Dan Jarvis confirmed that UK intelligence agencies were closely involved in the decision-making process and said he was satisfied that any potential risks would be properly managed.
The approval was made public ahead of a planned visit to China by UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer later this month which would be the first visit by a UK prime minister since 2018.
The location at Royal Mint Court is near the City of London and major fibre-optic cables that carry large amounts of sensitive data which has raised concerns that site could potentially be used by China to access or interfere with the UK’s financial systems.
However, the government found no indication that building the embassy would interfere with the nearby cables.
