Prime Minister Keir Starmer is under mounting pressure over whether to approve China’s long-stalled plans to build a massive new embassy complex in central London, a diplomatic saga that has dragged on for over seven years.
In 2018, China bought the historic Royal Mint Court site near the Tower of London for £255m to construct a 20,000-square-metre embassy. However, the plans have faced fierce opposition from local residents, human rights groups, and MPs, particularly due to concerns over security and China’s human rights record.
In 2022, Tower Hamlets council rejected the initial application, despite planning officers recommending approval. The decision shocked Beijing, prompting Chinese officials to launch a quiet lobbying campaign aimed at reversing the outcome, including meetings with local community figures and high-level UK officials.
After Labour’s election victory in July 2024, China resubmitted its application. President Xi Jinping personally raised the embassy issue with Starmer during a phone call in August 2024. Days later, then-Housing Secretary Angela Rayner “called in” the application, removing the decision from local control and triggering a public inquiry. Her successor, Steve Reed, is now set to decide the outcome.
Opponents argue Labour has already promised China approval, pointing to Starmer’s comments at the G20 last November, where he told Xi: “We have since taken action by calling in that application.”
Local residents, including exiled Hongkongers, are exploring a judicial review if the embassy is approved. Ministers have delayed a final decision until 21 October, citing incomplete plans from Beijing.
With diplomatic stakes high and domestic opposition fierce, Starmer now faces a critical choice that could define UK-China relations and Labour’s approach to global pressure for years to come.
