The High Court ruled on Friday, July 31, that the UK government's approval for China to build a new embassy in London was lawful. The court dismissed a legal challenge brought by the Royal Mint Court residents’ association against the London borough of Tower Hamlets and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The proposed 20,000-square-metre site is located on the old Royal Mint, near the Tower of London. Once completed, the project is set to become the largest embassy complex in the UK by area.
The neighborhood association had argued that the embassy posed a security threat. The ruling could mark the end of a long-running saga that has strained ties between Britain and China.