China criticizes UK for postponing decision once more on huge London embassy.

BEIJING China expressed strong criticism on Wednesday regarding the United Kingdom's latest postponement of a decision on the construction of a large Chinese Embassy in London. The UK authorities announced on Tuesday that the originally planned decision date of December 10 has been moved to January 20, citing heightened security concerns.

The UKs repeated postponements in granting approval are entirely unjustified, and the explanations provided are unacceptable, stated Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian when commenting on the situation. He added that the government is highly dissatisfied with the delay.

The embassy project, located near Londons financial hub and sensitive data infrastructure, has faced delays for several years. The proposed Royal Mint Court location, close to the Tower of London, is set to become Europes largest Chinese diplomatic mission, spanning 20,000 square meters (around 215,000 square feet).

Opponents have voiced fears that the building could serve as a hub for espionage, prompting lawmakers from various parties to call for rejection of the proposal. The UKs planning authorities stated that the postponement is intended to allow further assessment.

The Home Office and Foreign Office have provided guidance on specific security issues and have consistently emphasized that a decision should only be made once all such considerations have been fully addressed, said Tom Wells, spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, on Tuesday.

Observers have suggested that the delay may coincide with preparations for Starmers anticipated visit to Beijing early next year. The postponement comes amid increasing scrutiny of the UK governments handling of several allegations of Chinese espionage in recent weeks.

Author: Chloe Ramirez