China’s ‘Secret Embassy Room’ Built Beside City Data Cables as Starmer Poised to Approve

The Telegraph says it has obtained unredacted plans showing a concealed underground chamber in China’s proposed London “super-embassy” sitting alongside fibre-optic cables carrying sensitive City financial data. Critics warn the site could become a platform for economic espionage, while the Government says security risks have been identified and addressed.

Telegraph: “secret room” planned beside City data cables

The Telegraph reports that China’s planned embassy complex on the former Royal Mint site includes a network of underground spaces, including what it describes as a concealed chamber built directly alongside fibre-optic cables carrying sensitive financial and communications traffic.

The newspaper says publicly available planning documents were heavily redacted, but it has obtained unredacted versions that show the location, layout and infrastructure of the underground areas.

Why the location matters: Britain’s “critical national infrastructure”

According to the report, the chamber sits beside routes used by major telecoms providers, carrying traffic linked to the City of London and Canary Wharf, and connecting into the wider London Internet Exchange ecosystem.

The concern is simple: physical proximity during demolition and construction can create opportunities for interference, and the alleged inclusion of air extraction systems raises questions about what equipment may be installed underground.

“The unredacted plans reveal a concealed room running immediately alongside the fibre-optic cables critical to the City and Canary Wharf.”

— Alicia Kearns, Shadow National Security Minister

Starmer expected to approve before China visit, report claims

The Telegraph says Sir Keir Starmer is expected to approve the embassy project ahead of a planned visit to China later this month, where he is due to meet Xi Jinping.

For a Labour government that talks tough on “security” while pushing ever closer to international entanglements, the optics are grim: a major foreign power building next to the “plumbing” of Britain’s financial data network.

Experts: legitimate use or a “red flag” for spying

Security specialists quoted in the report note that some underground infrastructure could be legitimate, such as secure communications systems for diplomatic use.

But the same experts warn those explanations can also provide cover for more aggressive intelligence collection, especially when designs include features consistent with high-heat computing.

“China won’t say what the basement is for. It could be legitimate classified communications equipment – but that can hide a multitude of sins.”

— Prof Alan Woodward, University of Surrey

“If they wanted to tap the cables… they wouldn’t need to go far. You wouldn’t know what was happening down there.”

— Prof Alan Woodward, University of Surrey

208 underground rooms, flats, generators and hidden facilities

The Telegraph says the unredacted plans show extensive underground infrastructure across the site, including lifts, power systems, water supply, emergency generators, and a tunnel linking buildings to a large underground car park.

It also reports accommodation plans for diplomats, plus underground showers and toilets that could allow personnel to stay below ground for long periods.

Government response: security experts involved “throughout”

A Government spokesman said security specialists have been involved and that implications have been “identified and addressed” as part of the planning process.

That may be the official line, but the political question remains: why is Labour prepared to risk even the perception of exposure around Britain’s most sensitive commercial data routes?

“National security is our first duty and government security experts have been involved throughout the process so far.”

— Government spokesman

“As the Home Office and Foreign Office have previously set out, all the security implications of the planning application have been identified and addressed.”

— Government spokesman

The bigger issue: sovereignty, resilience and who Britain trusts

Brexit was meant to restore control. That includes control over critical infrastructure, not just borders and laws.

Labour’s instinct is to “manage” risk with process, committees and vague assurances. A serious government puts sovereignty and resilience first, and avoids creating obvious temptations around cables that underpin the City’s global role.

If ministers wave this through, they will own the consequences and the public will remember exactly who signed off on it.