Jan. 20 (UPI) -- The British government on Tuesday greenlit plans for a 215,000-square-foot Chinese "super embassy" in central London, following a seven-year delay. However, the project could face years more delay after residents vowed legal action to prevent possible evictions.
Communities Secretary Steve Reed's decision came despite worries about the threat the embassy might pose to national security and Chinese dissidents who have been granted asylum in Britain after the security services said the risks were manageable.
The facility, close to the City of London, the financial district of the capital, and in particular its proximity to critical underground fiber-optic networks, would, opponents argued, be a hub for Chinese espionage and surveillance operations and targeting of people fleeing political persecution.
Local people also oppose the project, combining seven sites dotted around London in a single location, due to concerns about protests and traffic disruption due to a lack of space outside, while activists pointed to human rights issues in Hong Kong and Xinjiang province.
Reed said that after consulting with both the domestic and foreign intelligence branches, the Home Office and Foreign Office had no security worries related to the former Royal Mint site near the financial district that were cause to reject the Chinese planning permit.
