Britain has postponed its ruling on China’s plan to build a 20,000-square-metre embassy complex at Royal Mint Court, extending the decision deadline to 21 October from 9 September. Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner said more time was needed after Beijing declined to provide full details of building layouts that had been greyed out in its planning submission. The Department for Housing requested unredacted drawings this month, noting that basement and cultural-exchange areas remained blank. Planning adviser DP9, acting for China, replied that further disclosure was “neither necessary nor appropriate,” arguing the information already supplied met legal requirements. China bought the historic site near the Tower of London for about £255 million in 2018, but the project has stalled amid security concerns and opposition from local residents, lawmakers and Hong Kong pro-democracy activists. Tower Hamlets Council rejected the plans in 2022; the Starmer government later took the decision out of local hands, citing national interest. The Chinese embassy called the delay a breach of the UK’s obligation to facilitate diplomatic premises and urged approval “without delay.” Critics say the complex could serve as a hub for surveillance and transnational repression, a fear underscored by recent parliamentary warnings and street protests in London.