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A ruling on whether to sanction China's proposal for a recent large diplomatic complex in London has been delayed once more by the government.

Residential Affairs Secretary Steve Reed had been due to rule on the request by 21 October, but the cut-off date has been moved forward to 10 December.

It is the second time the authorities has deferred a ruling on the contentious location, whose position has sparked worries it could create an espionage risk.

A decision had first been expected by 9 September after cabinet members gained oversight of the operation from Tower Hamlets, the regional government, last year.

Safety Worries Highlighted

China acquired the site of the planned recent embassy, at Royal Mint Court, adjacent to the Tower of London, for £255m in 2018. At 20,000 square metres, the suggested development would be the biggest embassy in Europe assuming approval.

The awaiting ruling on whether to approve the new embassy was previously under close scrutiny because of concerns about the protection ramifications of the plan, including the location, scale and design of the structure.

The site is adjacent to data transmission cables transporting transmissions to and from banking organizations in the City of London. Concerns have been highlighted that Chinese operatives could utilize the site to tap into the cables and listen in.

Recent Developments

More concerns have been raised in recent weeks about the character of the risk posed by Beijing, following the collapse of the legal proceeding against two men accused of espionage for China.

The Government Legal Department unforeseeably dropped charges against parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash, 30, and academic Christopher Berry, 33, last month. Both men refute the claims.

Earlier Postponements

The authorities' primary deferral was asked for by Reed's predecessor Angela Rayner, after she asked China to explain why particular spaces within its architectural plans had been blanked out for "safety concerns".

Planning consultants employed by the Chinese embassy had replied that China "does not consider that, as a fundamental issue, it is essential or suitable to furnish full internal layout plans".

Rayner had sent correspondence to organizations engaged with the consultation, including China, the London police and a local residents' association, to allow additional time to respond to the plans and setting the deadline later to 21 October.

Current Situation

Reed, who assumed the housing role following Rayner's resignation last month, has now sought more time before a final decision needs to be made.

In a correspondence seen by media outlets, the accommodation ministry said extra time was needed due to the "comprehensive character" of replies collected previously.

It added that it was incapable to set a new deadline for fresh comments until it receives pending responses from the Diplomatic Service and Home Office.

Suggested Features

The planned facility would contain work spaces, a extensive subterranean section, residences for 200 staff, and a recent underground connection to link the Embassy House to a separate building on the embassy grounds.

Political Reactions

Beijing's application for the embassy was initially rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022 over safety and security concerns.

It resubmitted an identical request to the municipal government in August 2024, one month after the administration changed.

The China Consulate in the UK has formerly mentioned the recent development would enhance "mutually beneficial cooperation" between China and Britain.

In a new diplomatic note issued accompanying Reed's document explaining his reasons for the most recent postponement, a Beijing representative said disapprovals to the location were "either ill-founded or unreasonable".

Opposition Views

The Opposition Party said Government officials should throw out the request, and charged them of trying to "muffle the alerts about the threats to country protection" presented by the embassy site.

The Political Party also requested the proposal to be prevented, encouraging the government to "stand up to China".

International Relations representative Calum Miller said it would be "insane" for ministers to allow the consulate construction to move forward, after warnings from the chief of MI5 on Thursday about the risk of Chinese espionage.

Intelligence Concerns

A former chief advisor to the previous leader said MI5 and MI6 had alerted him China was "trying to build a intelligence facility underneath the embassy," when he was serving in Downing Street.

Speaking on a public affairs broadcast, the advisor said the organizations had advised him that permitting the embassy to be built would be "a very poor decision".

In his annual speech, the security director said "Chinese state actors" constituted a state security danger to the UK "daily".

He added that the UK had to "protect itself firmly" against China, while also being able to "seize the opportunities" from sustaining ties with Beijing.