LONDON — Keir Starmer is set to approve a new Chinese “super-embassy” in central London despite a string of security concerns which were raised through the planning process.

The Times reported Friday that intelligence services MI5 and MI6 are now satisfied that the project — long a source of controversy in the U.K. — should go ahead, with some “mitigations” to protect national security.

A British government official did not reject the Times reporting when pressed Friday.

The 20,000-square meter building near the Tower of London  is expected to be the biggest embassy in Europe once completed. 

Beijing purchased the site for £255 million in 2018, but objections have since been raised over its proximity to cables carrying communications to the vital City of London financial district. There are also concerns over Beijing’s refusal to present full internal layout plans to British authorities.

China angrily warned of “consequences” if the embassy was not granted planning permission, with British ministers repeatedly delaying a decision on whether to proceed.

However, the outgoing head of MI6, Richard Moore, recently said it was “right and proper” to allow the embassy to be built despite national security fears.

Starmer has faced a domestic backlash as he tries to reset relations with China.

His government faced blowback over the collapsed prosecution of two men accused of spying for Beijing, while China-skeptics have attacked the government for failing to publish a major audit of the U.K.’s policy towards the country.

This week the security services warned MPs they were being actively targeted by agents of the Chinese state on social network LinkedIn.

Starmer is nonetheless expected to travel to China next year as Britain seeks to strengthen economic ties with Beijing. It would mark the first visit by a U.K. prime minister to China since Theresa May in 2018.