The UK government is expected to approve China’s plans for a new mega embassy in central London.A final decision has not yet been formally taken, but the advice ministers are understood to have received from the intelligence agencies clears the path for the controversial project to be given the go ahead.The expected green light – first reported by the Times newspaper – will become the latest case study in the growing public argument about how wise a close relationship with Beijing is.The approval or rejection of the planning application lies with the Housing Secretary Steve Reed – in what is known as a quasi-judicial decision.But given the sensitivities of this judgement call, many others have been consulted – including MI5 and MI6.The decision has repeatedly been delayed and last month the government pushed back a deadline to rule on the application to 10 December.The site at Royal Mint Court is close to the City of London, and fibre optic cables that carry vast quantities of highly sensitive data, sparking concerns it could pose an espionage risk.The embassy, at 20,000 square metres, would be the biggest of its kind anywhere in Europe.Some have argued that a single site, rather than multiple sites across London, may be easier to manage and there is an awareness in government that rejecting China’s long-standing desire for its new embassy could set back diplomatic relations.However, Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel warned that approving the embassy would put Britain at risk, accusing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of being “desperate and unprincipled”.The Chinese Embassy in the UK has previously said the new complex would enhance “mutually beneficial cooperation” between China and Britain …
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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnThe UK government is expected to approve China’s plans for a new mega embassy in central London.A final decision has not yet been formally taken, but the advice ministers are understood to have received from the intelligence agencies clears the path for the controversial project to be given the go ahead.The expected green light – first reported by the Times newspaper – will become the latest case study in the growing public argument about how wise a close relationship with Beijing is.The approval or rejection of the planning application lies with the Housing Secretary Steve Reed – in what is known as a quasi-judicial decision.But given the sensitivities of this judgement call, many others have been consulted – including MI5 and MI6.The decision has repeatedly been delayed and last month the government pushed back a deadline to rule on the application to 10 December.The site at Royal Mint Court is close to the City of London, and fibre optic cables that carry vast quantities of highly sensitive data, sparking concerns it could pose an espionage risk.The embassy, at 20,000 square metres, would be the biggest of its kind anywhere in Europe.Some have argued that a single site, rather than multiple sites across London, may be easier to manage and there is an awareness in government that rejecting China’s long-standing desire for its new embassy could set back diplomatic relations.However, Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel warned that approving the embassy would put Britain at risk, accusing Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer of being “desperate and unprincipled”.The Chinese Embassy in the UK has previously said the new complex would enhance “mutually beneficial cooperation” between China and Britain …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
