Secret room to be built at Chinese embassy near cable lines, sparking widespread espionage fears

Fox News ^ | 1/13/26 | Bonny Chu

[Libloather]

Recently unredacted construction plans for China’s new super embassy in London have ignited a storm of national security concerns across the United Kingdom, as blueprints reveal a hidden underground room positioned alarmingly close to some of Britain’s most sensitive communication cables.

Major critics of the proposed site, which will run as close as three feet to the internet infrastructure, warned that the secret room could serve as a hub for Chinese espionage. While the British government reportedly assured its allies that the lines do not carry sensitive government data, the cables transmit financial transactions as well as communication traffic for millions of internet users.

The blueprints were publicly unredacted Monday by The Telegraph, just one week before Prime Minister Keir Starmer is widely expected to approve the plans before his visit to see President Xi Jinping in China.

A government spokesman told the outlet that despite the security concerns, "national security is our first duty and government security experts have been involved throughout the process so far."

According to the blueprint, the facility will be located at the former Royal Mint and will become Europe’s largest Chinese embassy.

Construction plans indicate that China intends to demolish and rebuild a basement wall, placing officials and equipment just over three feet from critical fiber-optic cables. Security experts have warned that such proximity could create opportunities for "cable-tapping," which involves inserting wiretaps or reading light signals leaking from the lines.

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TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; History; Local News
KEYWORDS: china; embassy; espionage; secret

[Libloather]

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