UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – As foreign secretary in 2018, Boris Johnson approved China’s £255m London super-embassy plan, now stalled amid political backlash and local opposition.
As reported by The Guardian, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson approved China’s proposed London embassy, calling it the country’s largest diplomatic project.
In a letter to China’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, Mr. Johnson consented to the Royal Mint Court embassy plan, as Beijing had purchased the £255 million site.
The documents revealed that under former Prime Minister Theresa May, the Conservatives assured Beijing that it could proceed with the embassy plan, which had remained stalled for several years due to political and local criticism.
What did Boris Johnson say about China’s London embassy plan?
Boris Johnson wrote to Wang in April, responding to details of the planned embassy during his time as foreign secretary.
He wrote,
“I am pleased to confirm that I have today agreed to grant consent for Royal Mint Court to be designated as diplomatic premises, on the basis of your assurances and the further detail provided by the Chinese ambassador to London.”
Mr Johnson said,
“I welcome the fact that this is China’s largest overseas diplomatic investment. The re-development of our embassy in Beijing will be one of our largest overseas diplomatic investments.”
He added he was committed, confident China was too, to advancing both projects together, calling them bold symbols of UK-China relations.
The ex-prime minister wrote that the projects carried political commitments at the highest levels, citing assurances provided to the British embassy in Beijing and to Eddie Lister in March.
Mr Lister, who moved from Mr Johnson’s City Hall chief of staff to a senior Downing Street position, helped facilitate China’s purchase of the property.
What did the Chinese embassy say about the London super-embassy delay?
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy stated,
“The Chinese government purchased in 2018 the former site of the Royal Mint Court, London for the use as the new Chinese embassy premises. The UK government had given its consent to this.”
They added,
“The UK has shown a total lack of the spirit of contract, credibility and ethics, and has repeatedly put off the approval of the project citing various excuses … Both China and the UK have plans to build new embassies in each other’s capitals, and both sides should facilitate each other’s efforts.”
What did Tories and Keir Starmer say about China’s London embassy plans?
The Tories questioned whether Labour provided China with private assurances over the embassy proposal. Party leader Kemi Badenoch said the London embassy plans should be “scrapped” given everything that is known.
The plans first stalled when Tower Hamlets council rejected planning permission in December 2022, and the Conservative government declined to act, causing the application to expire.
After Labour took office last year, China submitted a new application for its embassy, prompting ministers to intervene and take the decision from the council after Xi Jinping spoke with Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
When asked about China’s warnings over the embassy project, Mr Starmer responded,
“No. The decision on the embassy will be taken in the proper way regardless of any views or pressure from anyone.”
A Conservative spokesperson stated,
“When Conservatives were in government, the planning application for the mega-embassy was thrown out, and the Chinese only pushed it again after Labour were elected. Since the application was re-submitted, the Conservatives have led the charge in opposing the Chinese spy hub.”
Tory MP Alicia Kearns posted on X,
“Just as I suspected. The Government’s ONLY act in defence of our democracy since the China Spy Trial collapse was to démarche the Chinese embassy. When I asked in the Chamber I didn’t receive an answer, now it’s confirmed.
She added,
“Labour had an official do the démarche because yet again, they will not stand up to the Chinese Communist Party. Why would the CCP take notice if our own Ministers won’t take them to task for an assault on our Parliament?
Just as I suspected.
— Alicia Kearns MP (@aliciakearns) October 28, 2025
The Government’s *ONLY* act in defence of our democracy since the China Spy Trial collapse was to démarche the Chinese embassy.
When I asked in the Chamber I didn’t receive an answer, now it’s confirmed.
Labour had an official do the démarche because yet… pic.twitter.com/hpEU1UYghm
Conservative MP for Chingford & Woodford Green, Iain Duncan Smith, stated on X,
“Beijing has accused the Labour government of “acting in bad faith and without integrity” — a charge dripping with hypocrisy from a regime that bullies, spies, and tramples the rule of law. China steals intellectual property, breaks WTO rules, props up state firms to crush Western industry, and uses forced labour in its supply chains. Its agents hunt dissidents on British soil while state hackers loot sensitive data from Western networks. The real question is: what did Labour promise Beijing when it called in the planning decision for China’s mega-embassy? Given the deceit surrounding the collapsed China spy case, it’s likely this government will dodge that answer too.”
Beijing has accused the Labour government of “acting in bad faith and without integrity” — a charge dripping with hypocrisy from a regime that bullies, spies, and tramples the rule of law. China steals intellectual property, breaks WTO rules, props up state firms to crush Western…
— Iain Duncan Smith MP Chingford & Woodford Green (@MPIainDS) October 17, 2025
According to reports, China has refused permission to refurbish the British embassy in Beijing.
What did Sadiq Khan say about China’s London embassy plans?
London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said,
“Because the planning application was acceptable in London Plan Policy terms, there were no sound planning reasons for me to intervene in the case, nor for the GLA [Greater London Authority] to appear at the Public Inquiry.”
He stated,
“China is an important player on the world stage and we should be doing business with them. But this is the wrong embassy in the wrong place – we’ve got to address the issue and we need assurances around any concerns.”
Mr Khan also added that the embassy “will have an impact” on Metropolitan Police resources, but insisted “I’ve got no locus in terms of what the Government may or may not do.”
What did Tories and officials say about the collapsed China spy trial?
The government has come under pressure over its stance on China and the London embassy project after the sudden collapse of a spy trial. Christopher Cash and Christopher Berry, a former researcher and a teacher, denied accusations under the Official Secrets Act.
During the Commons debate on Tuesday, 28 October, Tories called on the government to release the minutes of the 1 September meeting discussing the trial’s implications.
Key figures in the case offered conflicting explanations at a parliamentary committee this week, with prosecutors blaming government-supplied evidence and an official citing legal advice.
Where does China want to build its embassy in London?
The Chinese government wants to build a new embassy at the Royal Mint Court site near the Tower of London. China purchased this location in 2018 for £255 million.
The proposed 20,000-square-meter complex would be the largest embassy in Europe if approved. Plans include offices, housing for 200 staff, a large basement, and a connecting tunnel.
The UK government has delayed its decision on the planning application, with a new deadline of December 10, 2025. The project faces scrutiny over national security concerns.