Overview

• A senior US official told Downing Street that approving an embassy at Royal Mint Court could grant Beijing access to critical cables and data centres near Canary Wharf and the City of London.
• White House sources warned the development would undermine US diplomats’ willingness to share high-grade intelligence with Britain.
• Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said security concerns will be handled “assiduously” through the planning process before ministers make a final decision.
• The embassy plan was rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022, resubmitted after Labour’s election win, and called in for ministerial approval by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner.
• The Conservative Party and more than a thousand protesters have opposed the scheme, warning it could serve as a centre for espionage and jeopardize US-UK trade negotiations.