China London gives green light for Chinese "super embassy"
The British government has cleared the way for a Chinese "super embassy" in London. The Minister for Local Government, Steve Reed, has approved Beijing's plans, reported the PA news agency.
20.01.2026, 18:08
SDA
The huge complex will be built on the site of the historic Royal Mint building, which is centrally located near the Tower of London and next to the financial district. The project has been highly controversial for years, mainly due to security concerns.
Critics fear that the Chinese government could use the huge complex as a base for espionage. Even members of parliament from within its own ranks have warned that the embassy could also be used to coordinate the intimidation of critics of the communist government who have fled to the UK. However, the government claimed to have developed measures to manage "all risks".
The head of the British domestic intelligence service MI5, Ken McCallum, warned against a false sense of security. The expectation that any risk in connection with the new embassy could be completely ruled out was "not realistic", McCallum wrote in a joint letter with the director of the secret service GCHQ, Anne Keast-Butler.
Activists and local residents have been protesting against the project for months and have announced their intention to take legal action if the government approves Beijing's plans. The founder of an international network of parliamentarians, Luke de Pulford, described the approval as a completely wrong signal: "Wrong for dissidents, wrong for the UK's national security."
Complex with 208 rooms
According to an investigation by the Telegraph, the huge new complex is said to include a network of 208 secret rooms located under the building. There is also said to be a hidden chamber. According to the report, this is located in close proximity to sensitive data cables that are crucial for communication in the financial sector.
According to Sky News, China bought the Royal Mint building, which was built more than 200 years ago, for a whopping 255 million pounds (around 273 million Swiss francs) back in 2018 and has always affirmed that it will adhere to all standard diplomatic practices. The Royal Mint is the mint for coins that used to be housed there.
The Chinese government has wanted to implement its plans for years, but the project has so far been rejected at local government level. In 2024, Prime Minister Keir Starmer finally declared the project a top priority - after President Xi Jinping personally asked Starmer to intervene.
