Angela Rayner has given China two weeks to explain why parts of its plans for a new mega-embassy in London have been blanked out.
The deputy prime minister’s Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government sent a letter asking for further information and requested a response by 20 August, the BBC understands.
Beijing’s plans for the new embassy have sparked fears its location – Royal Mint Court near London’s financial district – could pose an espionage risk. Residents nearby also fear it would pose a security risk to them and attract large protests.
The BBC has contacted the Chinese embassy in London for comment.
China bought the old Royal Mint Court for £255m in 2018. At 20,000 square metres, the complex will be the biggest embassy in Europe if it goes ahead.
The plan involves a cultural centre and housing for 200 staff, but in the basement, behind security doors, there are also rooms with no identified use on the plans.
There are concerns, held by some opponents, that the Royal Mint Court site could allow China to infiltrate the UK’s financial system by tapping into fibre optic cables carrying sensitive data for firms in the City of London.
Pro-democracy campaigners from Hong Kong also fear Beijing could use the huge embassy to harass political opponents and even detain them. Last month, the UK condemned cash offers from Hong Kong authorities for people who help in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain.
Credit: bbc.com
