China’s London super-embassy almost certain to get go-ahead next week

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 3 min read 100% complete by Peter Walker and Pippa CrerarJanuary 13, 2026 at 07:26 PM

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A large new Chinese embassy complex in east London is likely to be approved next week. The 20,000 sq metre "super-embassy" at Royal Mint Court near Tower Bridge has raised concerns among Labour MPs regarding potential security risks, particularly its proximity to communication cables vital to the City of London. Some fear the embassy could be used for economic warfare against the UK and pose a security challenge. While MI5 has no security concerns, some MPs believe this is complacent. The approval would come before Keir Starmer's expected visit to China, though officials deny any political influence on the planning process.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Uighur 30% Hong Kong 30% Chinese Communist Party 40% UK 40% Sarah Champion 40% MI5 50% Matthew Pennycook ×250% Alicia Kearns ×260% Labour MPs ×370% Keir Starmer ×270% London 80% China ×590%

Keywords

chinese embassy 100% china 90% security risks 80% london 70% political pressure 60% economic warfare 60% labour mps 60% keir starmer 50% mi5 50% hostile state 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

The Guardian - World News

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.40)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

China

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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chinese embassy china security risks london political pressure economic warfare labour mps keir starmer mi5 hostile state

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