On Monday (18 November), the prime minister bought up the proposed embassy scheme in a face-to-face meeting with Xi Jinping during the G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro. It was the first time a UK prime minister has met their Chinese counterpart since Theresa May was in No 10.The proposals which would transform the former Royal Mint site opposite the Tower of London into embassy quarters was resubmitted to Tower Hamlets, the local planning authority, in the immediate aftermath of Julys general election.The planning application for a 2.3ha embassy complex was called in last month by deputy prime minister Angela Rayner. This means Chipperfields scheme will now face a planning inquiry with government ministers making the final decision.AdvertisementVideo of the encounter with Xi Jinping showed Starmer saying: You raised the Chinese embassy building in London when we spoke on the telephone and we have since taken action by calling in that application. Now we have to follow the legal process and timeline.China had criticised the previous government for failing to intervene in an original planning application, which Tower Hamlets councillors refused in December 2022 a decision later upheld by London mayor Sadiq Khan.Tower Hamlets councillors cited the schemes potential harm to surrounding heritage assets such as the Tower of London, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and the impact of the development on residents of the neighbouring Royal Mint Estate. They overturned a recommendation to approve the scheme by council planning officers, who had described the scheme as well-designed.Protesters and local politicians opposed the scheme because of Chinas repression of the predominantly Muslim Uyghur people and David Chipperfield was criticised for accepting the commission. Tower Hamlets has the largest Muslim population of any local authority in England and Wales, at 39.9 per cent.Last month it was alleged that China was blocking proposals by Eric Parry Architects for a new British ambassadors residence in Beijing in response to the delays to its London embassy plansAdvertisementAccording to a report in The Guardian, Chinese officials have resisted the UKs requests to rebuild its embassy complex for at least a year. The AJ understands that plans for the site were first submitted to authorities two years ago.A Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: Applications for a new Chinese embassy in Tower Hamlets have been called in for ministers to decide. A final decision will be made in due course.There is currently no timeline for the inquiry into the Chipperfield scheme.