China has strongly criticized the British government for the repeated postponement of a decision regarding the construction of a new embassy building in London. This incident has led to increased diplomatic tension between the two countries and created a situation that could affect future relations.
Redaksiya reports, citing Euronews, that Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian called Britain's repeated postponements "completely unreasonable." He also stated that the reasons put forward by the British side were "unbearable." It was also noted that the Chinese government expressed "strong dissatisfaction" with the situation.
Plans for the embassy to be built in an area close to London's financial district and sensitive data cables have been a topic of discussion for years. The building, planned to be constructed at Royal Mint Court, near the Tower of London, was set to cover an area of 20,000 square meters and would have been Europe's largest embassy. These plans have faced criticism from various parties due to security concerns.
The British government's planning agency stated that the decision requires more time. Tom Wells, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, noted, "The Home Office and the Foreign Office have expressed their views on specific security issues and have demonstrated a clear position that the decision should not be made until these issues are fully resolved." Critics claim the decision was postponed just before Starmer's expected visit to Beijing early next year.