The UK government has once again postponed its final determination regarding the controversial plans for China's proposed "super-embassy" in London, deferring the decision until January. This new timeline coincides with Prime Minister Keir Starmer's anticipated visit to Beijing for bilateral talks, marking the first visit by a British Prime Minister since Theresa May in 2018. Ministers are widely expected to grant approval for the project, which aims to consolidate all seven of China’s existing diplomatic premises in the city into a single, massive diplomatic outpost at the Royal Mint Court site, covering 20,000 square meters near Tower Bridge, according to The WP Times citing The Guardian.

The final decision on granting planning permission has been rescheduled for January 20th, marking the third time the government has delayed the ruling. The plans, which would establish China's largest diplomatic facility globally, have drawn strong opposition from local residents and various campaigners concerned about Beijing's human rights record, particularly in regions like Hong Kong and Xinjiang.

Despite the controversies and local resistance, formal submissions from the Home Office and the Foreign Office have reportedly raised no national security objections to the proposal. Sources previously indicated that the security services, including MI5, were comfortable with managing the associated security risks. A government spokesperson reinforced this view on Tuesday, stating that consolidating China’s diplomatic presence into one location "clearly brings security advantages."

In a recent speech on Monday night, Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the UK’s approach to China, arguing against adopting extreme positions and advocating for a balanced strategy. He criticized the previous government’s fluctuation between a "golden age" and an "ice age," stating, "We reject that binary choice." Starmer described China as a "nation of immense scale, ambition and ingenuity" and a "defining force in technology, in trade and global governance," asserting that the UK's response would be "grounded in strength, clarity and sober realism," rather than being "driven by fear, nor softened by illusion."

In a letter shared by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper confirmed that their departments had "carefully considered the breadth of considerations" related to the embassy. They noted cooperation with law enforcement to ensure national security concerns were resolved, stressing "the importance of countries having functioning diplomatic premises in each other’s capitals, whilst maintaining the critical need to uphold and defend our national security."

The Chinese government acquired the Royal Mint Court site for £255 million in 2018, but the construction plans were initially stalled when the local authority, Tower Hamlets council, rejected the planning application in 2022. The subsequent Labour government, after taking power last summer, utilized its authority to call in the matter, removing the final decision from the council's jurisdiction.

The Chinese embassy spokesperson expressed strong disapproval of the delay, stating, "We strongly deplore the UK side’s repeated postponement of the decision on the planning application for the new Chinese embassy project." They urged the UK to approve the application swiftly "to avoid further undermining the mutual trust and cooperation between the two sides."

A UK government spokesperson maintained that an "independent planning decision will be made by the secretary of state for housing, communities and local government in due course," confirming that security considerations by the Home and Foreign Offices have been "completed or resolved."

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