The UK government has pushed back its final ruling on a contentious plan for a new Chinese diplomatic complex in London for a third time, with a decision now expected in the new year.
Decision Pushed to January Amid Security Scrutiny
A letter from the planning inspectorate confirms the deadline has been moved to 20 January 2026, slipping from the previously scheduled date of 10 December 2025. Housing Secretary Steve Reed requested the additional time to examine fresh submissions from the Foreign Office and the Home Office.
Despite the repeated postponements, government sources indicate the plans are likely to receive approval. It is understood that both the domestic security service MI5 and the foreign intelligence agency MI6 have raised no fundamental objections, provided certain safeguards are implemented.
Background of Delays and Opposition
This marks the third significant delay for the proposed embassy site near the Tower of London. The application was initially rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022, with the subsequent Conservative government declining to intervene.
Following Labour's election victory, the Chinese authorities re-submitted their planning application, prompting former housing secretary Angela Rayner to pause the process. Mr. Reed, who took up the role in September, had already delayed the decision once from October, citing insufficient time to review the details.
Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), criticised the latest hold-up. "This is the third delay, and entirely of the government's own making," he stated. "Residents and dissidents have endured months of dithering as the government tries to choose between UK national security and upsetting Beijing."
Security Fears and Political Context
The project has faced substantial local opposition and large-scale protests, with critics warning the large complex could function as a spy hub for Chinese operations across Europe. Hong Kong dissidents now living in the UK have voiced specific anxieties about rooms in the plans that are redacted "for security reasons," fearing they could be used for detention.
The latest postponement comes less than a day after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer described China as posing "real national security threats to the United Kingdom." He emphasised that the UK's policy towards Beijing must stop blowing "hot and cold" and promised a more focused governmental approach to the relationship.
The government's letter to ministers and interested parties assures that it aims "to issue the decision as quickly as possible" on or before the new January deadline.
