Minister dismisses US misgivings over Chinese 'super embassy' in London - as Tories warn of 'espionage base'

A curate has dismissed reported US misgivings astir plans for a Chinese "super embassy" adjacent London's fiscal districts.

Peter Kyle told Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips that information concerns volition beryllium "taken attraction of assiduously successful the readying process".

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According to The Sunday Times, the White House has warned Downing Street against the projected monolithic embassy astatine Royal Mint Court.

The tract is betwixt fiscal hubs successful the City of London and Canary Wharf and adjacent to 3 information centres, raising concerns astir espionage risk.

Asked for the government's presumption connected the risk, Mr Kyle said: "These issues volition beryllium taken attraction of assiduously successful the readying process.

"But conscionable to reassure people, we woody with embassies and these sorts of infrastructure issues each the time.

"We are precise experienced and we are precise alert of these sorts of issues constantly, not conscionable erstwhile caller buildings are being done, but each the time."

He added that America and Britain "share quality iteratively" and if they rise information concerns done the readying process "we volition person a fulsome effect for them".

However, shadiness location caput Chris Philp said helium shared the US's concerns.

He told Trevor Phillips: "I hold with the United States. We deliberation it is simply a information hazard successful the government.

"The Conservatives were precise clear. We should not beryllium allowing the Chinese to physique the ace embassy. It is apt to go a basal for their pan-European espionage activities."

He added that underneath the sites are cables connecting the City of London to Canary Wharf and these could beryllium intercepted.

Sky News has contacted the Chinese embassy for comment.

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China has been attempting to revise plans for the Royal Mint building, other the Tower of London, since purchasing it successful 2018.

The connection for the embassy, which would beryllium China's largest successful Europe, was antecedently rejected by Tower Hamlets assembly successful 2022.

However, Beijing resubmitted it successful August aft Labour won the election, and the plans were "called in" by Angela Rayner, the lawman premier curate and lodging secretary.

It means that an inspector volition beryllium appointed to transportation retired an enquiry into the proposal, but the determination yet rests with cardinal authorities alternatively than the section authority.

Two ample protests were held astatine the tract successful February and March, which organisers claimed progressive thousands of people.