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last mo.

UK Approves Chinese Embassy at Royal Mint Court With Conditions

Ministers say security agencies are satisfied that risks can be managed.

A general view of Royal Mint Court where is planning site for the new London Chinese embassy, near London's financial district, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
People shelter under umbrellas as they walk past the Royal Mint Court, the proposed site of the new Chinese embassy, in London, Britain, January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Hiba Kola
Royal Mint Court, the proposed site of the new Chinese Embassy, is seen through a fence in London, Britain, January 13, 2026. REUTERS/Hiba Kola
A sign of the Royal Mint Court, the proposed site of a new Chinese mega-embassy at Royal Mint Court, in London, Britain, January 17, 2026. REUTERS/Isabel Infantes

Overview

  • Britain granted planning permission for China to build its largest European embassy in London, with the approval subject to conditions.
  • The complex will span about 55,000 square metres near the Tower of London and is intended to consolidate China’s diplomatic operations on one site.
  • The decision caps years of delays that included a 2022 local rejection and a subsequent government-run inquiry after ministers took over the case.
  • Campaigners and local residents are preparing judicial review challenges, citing unredacted plans referencing 208 underground rooms and work near sensitive data cables.
  • The approval lands as British media report an unconfirmed visit by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to China later this month, following Beijing’s complaints over earlier postponements.