Britain's warning from Beijing: Beijing threatens 'consequences' as Labour delays on the London 'super-embassy' stir a spying storm
China has warned Britain of consequences after Labour ministers delayed approval for its planned London 'super-embassy'. Beijing wants to build a massive diplomatic headquarters on a historic site near the City of London, even as campaigners and local residents oppose it. The decision that would authorize the project had been due next week, but Housing Secretary Steve Reed pushed the date to December 10. In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian voiced "grave concern and strong dissatisfaction" about the delay. He said China had shown "the utmost sincerity and patience" in talks, but accused the UK of "disregard for contractual spirit, acting in bad faith and without integrity" and urged Britain to "immediately fulfill its obligations and honor its commitments". He warned: "Otherwise the British side shall bear all consequences". The tension was sharpened by Dominic Cummings, a former Downing Street adviser, who warned that the embassy could be used as a "spy centre". Downing Street rejected Beijing's claim that commitments had been made, saying the planning decision is an independent, quasi-judicial process. A No10 spokesman added: "I don't recognise any claims of commitments or assurances. In terms of the planning process here, this is a decision that is independent of the rest of Government. It’s a quasi-judicial decision and it would not be appropriate for me to comment further on the cases before MHCLG ministers."
A historic site, a colossal bid, and a decision delayed again
The plan is to create a huge diplomatic headquarters near the City of London at Royal Mint Court, close to fibre optic cables carrying communications to and from financial institutions. Britain bought the former Royal Mint site for £255 million in 2018 with the aim of moving its embassy eastwards from Marylebone. Beijing's redevelopment of Royal Mint Court was rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022. After Labour's general election victory last year, the planning application was resubmitted, and ministers moved to "call in" the decision. Prime Minister Keir Starmer later revealed that ministers had taken over decision-making for the proposed embassy after the Chinese President raised it with him. In a letter to DP9, the planning consultancy working for the Chinese government, Steve Reed's department said he needed more time "for full consideration of the applications". It added: "The Secretary of State hereby gives notice that he has varied the timetable for the decision which was previously set, and a decision will now be issued on or before 10 December 2025." The department also stressed that national security concerns would be "paramount" and Reed said he expected to see full, unredacted plans before deciding. The new deadline date is described as "not legally binding" and could slip again.
Security fears and political crosswinds: is Beijing's embassy a spy centre?
Dominic Cummings has claimed that MI5 and MI6 warned him China intends to build a spy centre beneath the embassy, given the site’s proximity to vital fibre cables feeding the City’s financial networks. He told ITV's Talking Politics: "China is trying to build a spy centre underneath the embassy" and called the idea "an extremely bad idea" due to the exact location and cables beneath London. Within Whitehall, the case sits amid a broader political storm. The spying trial of Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry collapsed when prosecutors could not prove a national-security link, prompting fresh questions about Britain’s threat assessments and openness toward China. Luke de Pulford of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China said: "We know the UK is under heavy diplomatic pressure from China to green-light the embassy application. It is very difficult to believe that this delay has not been caused by the current spy scandal, making it impossible to approve the application without seeming unacceptably weak on China." Sir James Cleverly, the Tory shadow housing secretary, argued that the planning review must have access to the full unredacted drawings and that Starmer should throw out the proposal—"as Ireland and Australia did when faced with similar embassy development proposals from Russia." Calum Miller of the Liberal Democrats added that Beijing’s espionage efforts have been laid bare, and warned that delaying would send the wrong signal. In a letter to DP9, Reed’s department repeated that more time was needed for full consideration. MPs are due to hold an inquiry into the case, as the timeline for the embassy decision remains unresolved.
