Ministers gave the green light for China’s new ‘mega-embassy’ in London today despite security fears.
The government has signed off the plans for the London site, in the face of furious opposition from many MPs.
In a 240-page assessment following years of delays and wrangling, Communities Secretary Steve Reed concluded that the project can go ahead.
‘All material considerations were taken into account when making this decision,’ he added in a statement to MPs.
‘The decision is now final unless it is successfully challenged in court.’
The proposals are said to include 208 secret rooms and a hidden chamber. Critics argue that there is a risk from the close proximity to data cables, crucial for the City’s operation.
The long-awaited announcement will trigger another major legal battle as opponents try to block the embassy project in the courts.
But it could also pave the way for Keir Starmer to confirm he will visit Beijing in the coming months, amid accusations that he is ‘kowtowing’ to the Asian superpower in a bid to boost the economy.
Luke de Pulford, head of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, said the Government faces an ’embarrassing and potentially catastrophic’ legal challenge if the plans are approved.
‘Years of campaigning about the obvious and manifold risks posed by this embassy development have not been enough to outweigh the UK Government’s desire for Beijing’s money,’ he said.
‘The fight isn’t over. The campaign now heads to the courts where the Government is about to become embroiled in an embarrassing and potentially catastrophic judicial review.’
MPs – including from within Labour ranks – have warned that the embassy could be used to ‘step up intimidation’ against dissidents.
They have urged Communities Secretary Steve Reed – who oversees the planning system – to block the application.
However, the Government has argued that it would consolidate Chinese diplomatic presence from seven buildings to one, which could have security benefits.
Ciaran Martin, former chief executive of GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre, last week dismissed concerns about the proposed embassy’s location.
In an article for The Times, he said the plans would have been thoroughly scrutinised by the UK’s security services, and that ‘no Government would override their advice were they to say the risks were too great’.
Addressing the Commons on the eve of the decision deadline, Foreign Office minister Seema Malhotra said: ‘We’ve been consistently clear that national security is the first duty of Government, and it has been our core priority throughout the embassy process, with the close involvement of the security and intelligence agencies.’
She said a ‘range of measures’ had been implemented to protect national security and that she had ‘full confidence’ in the security services to be able to manage potential risks from spies.
