UK approves plans for Chinese mega-embassyReutersThe UK has approved China's plans for a huge new embassy in central London, despite opponents warning it could be used as a base for spying and pose security risks. Security Minister Dan Jarvis said intelligence agencies had been "integral" to the process and he was "content any risks are being appropriately managed". The decision, which has repeatedly been delayed, had posed a challenge for the government, as it seeks to balance its desire for closer ties with Beijing with warnings of the threat posed by China. It comes as Sir Keir Starmer is expected to visit Beijing early this year, becoming the first UK prime minister to do so since 2018. Labour MPs urge minister to reject Chinese mega embassyHackers, secret cables and security fears: The explosive fight over China's new embassy in the UKIn a letter, the housing department confirmed that Housing Secretary Steve Reed, who is responsible for planning policy, had given permission for the development to go ahead, subject to certain conditions. The site at Royal Mint Court is close to the City of London and fibre optic cables that carry vast quantities of highly sensitive data, sparking concerns they could be used by China to infiltrate the UK's financial system. However, in its decision letter, the department said there was no suggestion the use of the site as an embassy would interfere with the cables. It added that no bodies with responsibility for national security, including the Home Office and the Foreign Office, had raised concerns or objected to the proposal on the basis of the proximity of the cables. Jarvis told MPs the government had "acted to increase the resilience of cables in the area through an extensive series of measures to protect sensitive data". The minister argued that the development brought "clear national security advantages", by consolidating China's diplomatic premises from seven sites into a single location. In a joint letter to the home secretary and foreign secretary about the embassy plans, MI5 director general Sir Ken McCallum and GCHQ's director Anne Keast-Butler said it was "not realistic to expect to be able wholly to eliminate each and every potential risk". However, they added a "proportionate" package of national security mitigations had been developed for the site. Opposition parties and some Labour MPs had called for the project to be blocked.
