UK set to greenlight mega Chinese embassy amid espionage warnings

The UK government is set to approve a super-size Chinese embassy in central London in midst of espionage warnings.

As reported by The Times, the prime minister Keir Starmer has been given approval from the intelligence agencies MI5 and MI6. However, the formal decision has not been taken yet.

The approval or rejection of the mega embassy relies on the decision of Housing Secretary Steve Reed.

The data of decision has been extended to December 10 with both security services departments, which are set to submit their responses to the government over the coming days.

The 20,000 square meter embassy would be considered as one of the biggest of its kind in Europe.

The approval of the controversial super-size Chinese embassy has raised criticism and concerns in the political circle. Some argued that in the case of rejection, the UK will suffer from the diplomatic setback.

On the other hand, Conservative shadow foreign secretary Dame Priti Patel warned that if the country approves China’s long-standing desire for an embassy, Britain would face security threats.

Dame Priti said "Keir Starmer really hates Britain. He is jetting off to Beijing, days after our intelligence services issued alerts about Chinese espionage following the massive spy case.”

Sir Keir is scheduled to travel China for his first bilateral visit in January or February, 2026, aiming to strengthen its diplomatic and economic relations with Beijing.

The controversy over the Chinese embassy approval came in the midst of a Chinese spying case and warnings by MI5 on national security threats posed by China.