A large new Chinese embassy complex in east London, spanning 20,000 sq metres, is nearing formal approval despite security concerns raised by Labour MPs. The proposed super-embassy at Royal Mint Court, near Tower Bridge, has drawn criticism over potential security risks, including a network of over 200 subterranean rooms, one of which is reportedly situated near communication cables leading to the City of London. Critics, such as shadow Home Office minister Alicia Kearns, fear this could provide the Chinese Communist party with a means for "economic warfare" and be a "daily headache" for UK security services.
Concerns have also been voiced by other Labour MPs regarding the potential impact on exiles from Hong Kong, Tibet, and Xinjiang, with allegations that Chinese diplomatic missions have previously targeted diaspora populations. MPs highlighted that multiple government agencies, departments, and international partners have expressed reservations about the mega-embassy, with China often identified as a hostile state in security briefings. While government officials maintain that the planning process is quasi-judicial and free from political influence, the timing of the expected approval coincides with Keir Starmer's planned visit to China, though officials insist this is coincidental. MI5 is reportedly not concerned about the project's security implications, a stance that Kearns deems complacent. The planning minister, Matthew Pennycook, stated that any new information would be assessed and that the decision would be based on relevant guidance, with the delay attributed to the detailed nature of the representations received.