China plotting new 'super-embassy' in the heart of London following Labour election victory

Back then, Chinese planners had slated the council's rejection as being "without merit" and having "no basis in planning policy" - but the country has brought the original schematics back to the table in a bid to change officials' minds.

The plans with which it is pushing ahead are the same as the ones originally submitted, but the two-year gap between their rejection and revival has sparked speculation Xi Jinping's men waited for the arrival of a Labour Government to have another go.

Their approach may not be without merit - the Starmer Government has already pushed for international relations resets with France and Europe as a whole, while Foreign Secretary David Lammy has pledged to carry out a "full audit" of UK-China ties.

China had accused the former Tory Government of not meeting diplomatic obligations when the plans were first rejected, despite the embassy's construction being a council matter, so another rebuttal could see Lammy's reset plans come under pressure within weeks of taking on the job.

Ex-Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said: "China doesn't do anything by coincidence. China are now going to try it on with the Labour government, to see if it can be persuaded into giving them the embassy it wants.

"If [China] wants an embassy it should be away from the main part of the city, as the US has done and others are doing."

READ MORE ON CHINA:

• China's economy 'hits the brakes' with Xi Jinping forced to take action
  
• China is increasing its nuclear arsenal faster than ANY other country - Inside the SHOCK report warning of 'most dangerous time in human history'
  
• China space probe returns to Earth with first EVER samples from the Moon's unexplored far side
  

The "super-embassy", which would overlook the Tower of London and sit within striking distance of London's business hubs in the City and Canary Wharf, would sprawl over 620,000 square feet, and include hundreds of offices, homes and a "cultural exchange" outpost.

The Royal Mint site - already owned by the Chinese government - sits some three miles east of Westminster, and would dwarf the country's existing setup in Marylebone, in the capital's west.

Ex-Tory MP Tobias Ellwood said: "There is no justification for any embassy to jump in size ten-fold unless they were attempting to expand competences well beyond the norms of routine diplomacy, which no doubt would include clandestine activity."

The plans have come under fire from locals, too. Tower Hamlets Council fielded more than 50 objections to China's initial plan, which cited concerns over safety, security and potential protests at the embassy's gates.

And residents' concerns appear not without merit - in 2022, pro-democracy protesters outside the Chinese consulate in Manchester were publicly beaten by a gang of men who appeared to have come from inside the building.

That incident was on the minds of some Tower Hamlets locals, who raised fears over the prospect of the "super-embassy" serving as a "secret police station" for Chinese authorities.

A Tower Hamlets Council spokesman said: "A new planning and listed building consent application has been submitted to develop an embassy on the site of Royal Mint Court.

"The planning team are reviewing the application and public consultation has commenced. At this stage we do not have a target committee date."

An MHCLG spokesman said: "Applications for a new Chinese embassy in Tower Hamlets have been called in for Ministers to decide. A final decision will be made in due course."