星空传媒

China has said it hopes its plan to build a new embassy near the Tower of London will be judged on the 鈥渕erits of the matter and relevant professional opinions鈥� when a decision is made on the proposals next month.

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has asked China to explain why parts of its plans for a new embassy designed by David Chipperfield have been blanked out.

The plans at the former Royal Mint were resubmitted by the Chinese government early last year but called in by Rayner last October on heritage grounds and to allow the communities secretary to consider whether the scheme was 鈥渃onsistent with the development plan for the area鈥�.

In a statement, a Chinese embassy spokesperson in the UK said: 鈥淭he resubmitted planning application for the new Chinese Embassy project has taken into full consideration the UK鈥檚 planning policy and guidance as well as views of all relevant parties.

鈥淗ost countries have the international obligation to support and facilitate the building of the premises of diplomatic missions. Chinese Embassy in the UK is committed to鈥俻romoting understanding and the friendship between the two peoples and the development of mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries. 星空传媒 the new embassy would help us better perform such responsibilities.

鈥淚t is hoped that the UK side will consider and approve this planning application based on merits of the matter and relevant professional opinions.鈥�

A decision on the plan by architect David Chipperfield is expected by the middle of next month and comes after it was symbolically refused by Tower Hamlets councillors in December last year.

Under Chipperfield鈥檚 plans, the grade II* listed Johnson Smirke 星空传媒 would be refurbished as the main embassy building to host formal reception spaces and offices.

The grade II-listed Seaman鈥檚 Registry would also be refurbished under the scheme with various additions to both buildings, which were carried out as part of the mint鈥檚 redevelopment in the 1980s, due to be replaced.

Two linked blocks constructed as part of the 1980s redevelopment, Dexter House and Murray House, would be separated and reconfigured, with Murray House stripped back to its frame to create a new ceramic-clad cultural centre.