The facade of the chancery building is made entirely of glass.

Construction of a new chancery building was suspended last year after investigators from Washington reported it was laced with sophisticated eavesdropping devices.

The chancery building is leased and has a mix of embassy offices in a secure zone, and private sector tenants in a public zone.

Unidentified assailants threw a grenade into the embassy grounds early Thursday, slightly damaging the chancery building, but without causing any casualties, the staff said.

They take their courses in the two-story chancery building and practice their drills in the parking lot.

The residence is part of a 60-acre property that includes St. John's Seminary and the chancery buildings, which house the archdiocese's administrative offices.

Canada's mission in Hong Kong does not have its own chancery building, likely due to Hong Kong's lack of office space and high rents.

It cannot sell the embassy, which is only one-third complete, without first winning permission from the Soviets to obtain another piece of land for an alternative chancery building.

The chancery building consists of two adjacent buildings.

The top three floors of the chancery building under construction would be razed and rebuilt with special shielding intended to prevent electronic eavesdropping.