The British government has reiterated in a recent report to the Parliament its firm opposition to the use of force in resolving the Taiwan Strait issue.
The report also reaffirmed Britain's commitment to the continued promotion of non-official relations with Taiwan, despite the absence of formal diplomatic ties.
The report further said the British government will agree to private visits by ministerial-level Taiwan officials to help strengthen bilateral substantive relations.
The report, prepared by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), was a response to a China policy paper presented by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons last November.
According to the FCO report, the British government has made it clear to both Taiwan and China that the United Kingdom has consistently opposed the use of force to settle the so-called Taiwan issue.
The report said Britain believes that a cross-strait military conflict would destabilize the Asia-Pacific region and even other parts of the world.
Any move resorting to the use of force in the Taiwan Strait will cause Britain's grave concern, the report said, adding that Britain thinks that Taiwan's future should be decided through peaceful dialogue between the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait.
The report said that although Britain does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign state, it is Britain's established policy to develop cooperative ties in the commercial, educational, scientific and cultural fields.
While Britain cannot accept official visits by senior Taiwan officials, the report said, it welcomes their visits in private capacity to help boost bilateral commercial, educational, technological and cultural exchanges.
On the other hand, the report said, Britain will encourage its Cabinet ministers and their deputies to visit Taiwan for similar promotional purposes.
The report went on to say that Britain is delighted to see Taiwan's achievements in political democratization and economic liberalization, particularly its peaceful transfer of power between different political parties through last March's free and fair election.
The report also recognized China's growing political and economic clout in the international community. It pointed out that Britain's interest lies in pushing China's politics, economy and society to move in a positive direction.
While stressing Britain's business interests in China, the report also expressed British concern about the country's human rights conditions.
The report said although Britain's efforts to push China to improve its human rights records have so far achieved limited results, the British government will continue using its every possible influence to include China in the global system and push it to improve human rights records and reinforce rule of law.
RSS