Liz Truss on Tuesday became British prime minister, replacing Boris Johnson after a majority of Conservative Party members elected the former British foreign secretary and China hawk as leader of the party, as polls had forecast.
She is the UK’s third female prime minister.
As foreign secretary, Truss had expressed support for Taiwan and promised to be tough on China. Which direction will the UK’s China policy take under her leadership?
The British economy has been hit by Brexit and the Ukraine crisis, and former British colony India recently surpassed the UK to become the fifth-largest economy in the world.
Truss is facing rising inflation, an increase in the cost of living and energy shortages in the UK, with no easy answers in sight.
In the field of foreign relations, where she sat in her previous brief, is where she is likely to make most headway as prime minister.
Even before she became prime minister, it was understood that a British government led by Truss would declare China a threat. As a result, it is expected that UK-China relations will continue to deteriorate.
Truss has not included former British chancellor of the exchequer Rishi Sunak, her former competitor in the party leadership contest, in her Cabinet.
Sunak, regarded as being softer on Beijing, will not be able to mitigate the expected rise in tensions.
Truss is likely to take on the threat and challenge posed by China directly, and address the issues of Taiwan, Xinjiang and Hong Kong, bringing to bear the UK’s international role in foreign relations.
In economics, the UK is likely to address its excessive reliance on China, and to pivot instead to supply chains with democratic partners, a move also promoted by the US.
The UK is also expected to look to India, the new “factory of the world,” so it can reduce reliance on Chinese manufacturing, after Truss championed deeper UK-India strategic and economic ties during the leadership contest.
The influence of the “China hawks” and “China doves” in the government is also tied to the UK’s “special relationship” with the US.
With the US maintaining its tough stance on China, the UK, which also considers itself a champion of Western values and promotes a Western-dominated international world order, is likely to fall in line with Washington’s strategy.
It is expected that a movement away from Beijing will push the UK to engage more closely with the US’ Indo-Pacific strategy, Japan and the AUKUS alliance — comprising the UK, the US and Australia.
Although Truss previously said that she would not visit Taiwan, in line with diplomatic convention, she has on several occasions advocated for the nation’s participation in international forums and supported sales of defensive weapons to Taiwan to avoid a crisis akin to the Ukraine war. She has also emphasized the importance of focusing efforts on maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait.
Given this, Taiwan-UK relations are expected to continue to develop.
Taiwan should invite British lawmakers to visit the nation and seek closer cooperation with the UK on the basis of developing supply chains between democratic partners.
Strengthened ties would help the UK divest from its overreliance on manufacturing in China and address the inflation crisis.
Chang Meng-jen is chair of the Department of Italian Language and Culture at Fu Jen Catholic University.
Translated by Paul Cooper
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