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The British government has approved plans to build a giant Chinese embassy in London, after years of debate and concerns about potential security risks.
Housing Secretary Steve Reed stated that the decision is now final unless it is successfully challenged in court.
China bought the land where the new embassy is planned to be built, at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, for 255 million pounds in 2018.
The decision to approve the project has been under close scrutiny due to concerns over the security implications of the location, size and design of the complex. With an area of 20,000 square meters, the facility would be the largest embassy in Europe if built.
The site is located near fiber optic cables that transmit communications to and from London's financial institutions.
Concerns have been raised that Chinese operatives could exploit this proximity to intercept communications.
Further questions about the nature of the threat posed by Beijing were raised last year, following the dismissal of a court case against two people accused of spying for China.
The urban planning inspector's report, published today, stresses twice that decisions on embassies must be "neutral towards states."
"It is not possible to discriminate against a use on the basis of the intended user," the report states, warning that otherwise an unacceptable situation would be created where the embassy of one state would be allowed, while that of another state would be refused.
The report further highlights that any ethical or similar objection to the construction of an embassy for a particular country cannot be considered a valid criterion in the planning process.
"It would not be lawful to refuse permission simply because it concerns a Chinese embassy. The same would apply to any other country seeking to build an embassy through the urban planning system," the report said.
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