The White House has said it is “deeply concerned” about Labour’s intention to approve a vast new Chinese embassy in London amid warnings it could pose a national security risk.
Senior figures in Donald Trump’s administration have raised fears that Beijing could exploit the UK’s critical infrastructure after unredacted plans revealed a complex of underground rooms beneath the former Royal Mint site, reports The Telegraph.
Drawings published by The Telegraph on Tuesday show 208 rooms below ground, including a large underground chamber measuring up to 40 metres wide and several metres deep. The structure is located beside fibre-optic cables carrying sensitive data between the City of London and Canary Wharf, prompting concerns about surveillance and espionage.
Despite those risks, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to approve the embassy before a January 20 deadline.
Labour MPs urge Starmer to block plans
Labour backbenchers warned the Prime Minister on Tuesday not to approve the project, arguing China should not be rewarded for what they described as “bullying.”
Planning minister Matthew Pennycook also refused to confirm whether ministers had seen the unredacted drawings before they were made public.
US warns UK is losing leverage
The underground chamber includes hot-air extraction systems, which analysts say could indicate the use of heat-intensive equipment such as high-powered computers.
Plans also suggest China intends to rebuild the outer basement wall, raising concerns it could allow access to nearby data cables.
The possibility of Beijing accessing US communications has sparked alarm in Washington and heightened fears of a widening rift between the UK and the US on security and free speech.
A senior Trump administration official told The Telegraph: “The United States remains deeply concerned about adversaries exploiting the critical infrastructure of our closest allies.”
Sir Keir is expected to sign off the development ahead of a visit to China later this month, where he is scheduled to meet President Xi Jinping.
According to the report, a US government source said Britain could weaken its position by approving the plans before talks take place.
“In a world where leverage with China matters, the UK is giving up all its leverage in the hope of a trade deal,” they said.
Another source claimed Foreign Office officials had “downplayed” the risk posed by the embassy’s proximity to sensitive cables.
US data security fears
John Moolenaar, chair of the US House of Representatives’ select committee on China, said he opposed the development and warned American data could be “at risk.”
“The CCP is a threat to the UK – a Five Eyes intelligence partner – and free people everywhere,” he said.
The proposed embassy would cover 22,000 square metres near the Tower of London, making it the largest Chinese diplomatic site in Europe.
Other elements hidden in the original plans included emergency generators, sprinkler systems, lift shafts and communications cabling.
Bathrooms and shower facilities were also obscured, raising questions over whether staff could remain underground for extended periods.
Ministers pressed over unredacted plans
In the Commons, Mr Pennycook again declined to say whether ministers had seen the unredacted drawings before their publication.
Responding to a question from shadow home office minister Alicia Kearns, he said he would not speculate and insisted the Secretary of State had “transparently sought” further information.
In August, then housing secretary Angela Rayner instructed Chinese officials to explain why basement blueprints for the “mega-embassy” had been redacted. It remains unclear whether any unredacted documents were formally provided to ministers.
Sir Keir is now facing a potential rebellion from Labour MPs who warned that the project “must not be allowed to go ahead”.
Reports have suggested Chinese authorities exerted pressure by cutting off water supplies to the British Embassy in Beijing and allowing the building to deteriorate.
Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle and opposition MPs have also criticised the Government after it failed to send the security minister to respond to questions in Parliament.
