LONDON — The UK government expects to have full, unredacted access to China’s plans for a new embassy in London before deciding whether to approve the project, Housing Minister Steve Reed said on Tuesday.

Concerns that the embassy could be used for espionage have led some British and U.S. politicians to call for blocking the plans. The government had initially aimed for an August decision but postponed it to October 21, citing Beijing’s failure to provide full details of the blueprints.

Reed confirmed he would review all proposed plans before making a decision, emphasizing that national security would not be compromised. “This government recognises that China poses a threat to national security,” he said.

The proposed embassy would be the largest in Europe, built on the site of a two-century-old building near the Tower of London. MI5 recently issued a rare public warning that MPs were being targeted by spies from China, Russia, and Iran.

In August, the planning consultancy representing China said providing full internal layout plans was “inappropriate,” leading to blacked-out sections on submitted drawings. The Ministry of Housing has not clarified whether it will meet the October 21 deadline.