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A decision on whether to approve Beijing's application for a new super-embassy in London has been postponed anew by the authorities.

Housing Secretary Steve Reed had been expected to determine on the request by 21 October, but the deadline has been extended to 10 December.

It is the second occasion the administration has delayed a decision on the contentious site, whose location has triggered worries it could pose an spying threat.

A decision had first been expected by 9 September after cabinet members took control of the procedure from Tower Hamlets, the municipal authority, last year.

Safety Worries Raised

China bought the property of the planned fresh embassy, at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, for £255m in 2018. At 20,000 square metres, the planned facility would be the biggest embassy in Europe should it proceed.

The outstanding decision on whether to sanction the recent embassy was already under intense examination because of apprehensions about the security implications of the proposal, including the placement, dimensions and architecture of the facility.

The location is close to data transmission cables transporting messages to and from economic establishments in the City of London. Apprehensions have been highlighted that Chinese operatives could utilize the property to intercept the lines and monitor communications.

Current Updates

Additional inquiries have been brought up 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 National Prosecution Authority surprisingly dropped charges against parliamentary researcher Christopher Cash, 30, and academic Christopher Berry, 33, last month. Both men contest the allegations.

Previous Delays

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

Development advisors employed by the China consulate had replied that China "does not believe that, as a basic concept, it is essential or fitting to provide detailed room arrangements".

Rayner had responded in writing to organizations participating in the consultation, including China, the London police and a neighborhood group, to give them more time to reply to the proposals and placing the time limit back to 21 October.

Existing Conditions

Reed, who took over the housing role following Rayner's departure last month, has now requested more time before a final decision requires completion.

In a document seen by media outlets, the housing department said extra time was required due to the "comprehensive character" of responses collected previously.

It stated that it was incapable to establish a fresh cut-off date for fresh comments until it receives outstanding replies from the Foreign Office and Domestic Affairs Department.

Proposed Facilities

The suggested development would incorporate offices, a large basement area, accommodation for 200 employees, and a new tunnel to join the Embassy House to a independent facility on the embassy grounds.

Political Reactions

Beijing's proposal for the embassy was initially rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022 over security and protection worries.

It resubmitted an equivalent proposal to the authority in August 2024, one month after the administration changed.

The Chinese Embassy in the UK has earlier stated the new complex would improve "reciprocal advantageous partnership" between China and Britain.

In a fresh official communication released accompanying Reed's correspondence detailing his reasons for the most recent postponement, a China diplomat said objections to the location were "either unsubstantiated or unreasonable".

Opposition Views

The Opposition Party said Labour ministers should dismiss the application, and charged them of trying to "silence the alerts about the threats to national security" presented by the consulate location.

The Political Party also demanded the request to be blocked, urging the administration to "stand up to China".

International Relations representative Calum Miller said it would be "crazy" for cabinet members to permit the embassy development to go ahead, after warnings from the director of MI5 on Thursday about the danger of Chinese espionage.

Intelligence Concerns

A previous senior consultant to the former Prime Minister said MI5 and MI6 had alerted him China was "attempting to construct a monitoring hub below the embassy," when he was employed at Downing Street.

Speaking on a political podcast, the consultant said the services had informed him that permitting the embassy to be erected would be "a very poor decision".

In his regular presentation, the protection head said "Beijing government agents" represented a national security threat to the UK "daily".

He mentioned that the UK required to "defend itself resolutely" against China, while also being able to "take advantage of the possibilities" from maintaining connections with Beijing.