Stop ‘weaselly excuses’ and tell truth on Chinese embassy, Government told

The Government has faced demands at Westminster to stop using “weaselly forms of excuse” and tell the truth over controversial plans for a Chinese “mega-embassy” in London.

The administration was accused in Parliament of “kowtowing” to Beijing over the proposed development, which has sparked security concerns and claims of ministerial meddling.

But the Labour front bench has insisted the scheme was being “considered properly on planning grounds” and the decision would be taken by Housing Secretary Steve Reed “independent of the rest of government”.

The Cabinet minister has pushed back the deadline for making the long-awaited decision on planning permission until December 10.

Beijing claimed the UK was failing to “honour its commitments” with the delay and warned of “consequences”, but this was rejected by Downing Street which said it did not “recognise any claims of commitments or assurances” over the embassy.

There have been calls for the proposed development on the historic former site of the Royal Mint near the capital’s financial district to be rejected.

Worries stem from its close proximity to critical data centres and communication cables.

The row over the embassy comes amid ongoing disquiet following the collapse of a Chinese spying case and warnings by MI5 of the threat posed by the communist state to UK national security, fuelling the Government’s difficulties as it seeks to ease tensions with Beijing.

Proposals for the embassy were rejected by Tower Hamlets Council in 2022, with the Chinese opting not to appeal.

But Beijing resubmitted the application a fortnight after Labour’s election victory last year, and the plans were then “called in” so ministers would make the final decision.

Tackled over the contentious scheme at Westminster, housing minister Baroness Taylor of Stevenage pointed out planning had to follow a legal process.

She said: “The Government is committed to the probity of the planning process at all levels to ensure robust and evidence-based decision-making.

“This is a decision for the MHCLG (Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) planning minister, independent of the rest of government.”

But she was pressed by Tory former defence minister Lord Robathan who referred to Sir Keir Starmer reportedly discussing the application with Chinese President Xi Jinping weeks before it was called in.

The Conservative peer and former SAS officer said: “It appears the Government is quite literally kowtowing to the Chinese.

“Will the minister assure this House that the warnings given by the security service and others will ensure that this embassy application is refused?”

Responding, Lady Taylor said: “I’m not going to give him that assurance from the despatch box. The matter is, as I said, being considered properly on planning grounds.”

She also repeated the Government position that it did not recognise statements made by the Chinese calling on the UK to honour its commitments.

Tory former senior law officer Lord Garnier said: “Could the Government please get off the hook of using expressions such as ‘We do not recognise’, and other weaselly forms of excuse, cut to the quick and start telling the truth about what is going on?”

Hitting back, Lady Taylor said: “I think there’s quite a lot of weaselly words going around in here today.”