British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey on Sunday said that the UK is ready to fight in the Pacific if necessary, making a clear signal of British alignment with allies in the region over a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Healey made the remarks on board the Royal Navy’s HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier as it historically berthed at Australia’s Port of Darwin in preparation for joint military exercises. This year’s Talisman Sabre exercises would be the largest ever, attended by 35,000 military personnel from 19 countries, including the US, the UK, Australia and Japan.
Asked what the UK was doing to help Asian countries, such as Taiwan, prepare for a potential escalation from China, Healey said: “If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together, and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together.”
Although Healey reiterated that the UK would prefer that the dispute be solved peacefully and diplomatically, his comment has been one of the most robust from a British representative when it comes to the subject of possible engagement in a military conflict in the Indo-Pacific region.
While Washington and Beijing are engaged in heightened military competition, and intense tussles over trade talks and the Russia-Ukraine war — which has shown the uncertainty of US President Donald Trump’s administration’s stance on China — a growing number of European countries are increasing their presence in the Indo-Pacific region to express their opposition to China’s aggressive expansion.
Given the rising concerns over China’s perceived support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the imbalance in economic relations that are threatening Europe’s security, European countries are building their defense capacities and seeking more alliances in Asia to ensure the bloc’s interests in the international order, stability and security, and to protect freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region, including in the Taiwan Strait, and the East and South China seas.
The Prince of Wales’ participation in the Talisman Sabre exercises marks a historic milestone and is the first time in nearly three decades that a British carrier strike group has operated in the region. The move is aligned with the British government’s Strategic Defense Review 2025 report, which addressed the importance of the Indo-Pacific region and marked China as a “persistent challenge.”
France in its National Strategic Assessment 2025 last month also highlighted the threats posed by China’s military coercion in the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region. The report came after French President Emmanuel Macron’s rare “strategic tour” to South Asian countries and participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue to showcase France as a viable alternative to the US and China.
The European Parliament and national parliaments have also established Taiwan friendship groups, and the EU in its Indo-Pacific Strategy report vowed to bolster cooperation with Asian partners, including Taiwan.
During the EU-China Summit in Beijing last month, EU leaders reiterated their opposition to any change in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region through force, and urged China to uphold the rules-based international order.
Healey said that “peace is secured through strength” and that partnerships are more important than ever amid growing threats in the Indo-Pacific region.
Taiwan should make efforts to develop more and closer strategic relations with like-minded European countries, not only to ensure peace and security in the Taiwan Strait and in Asia, but also to contribute to stability and prosperity in Europe and the global community.
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