China would be making “a catastrophic miscalculation” if it invaded Taiwan, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs Liz Truss said yesterday, telling a NATO summit that the UK and other countries should reconsider trading relationships with countries that use economic power in “coercive” ways.
In a sign of how far UK government attitudes toward China have shifted since the self-declared “golden decade” under former British prime minister David Cameron, Truss said trade should be directed at countries that could be trusted.
Speaking at the Madrid summit, Truss said that with China expanding its strategic ambitions, NATO’s new strategic concept should reference China specifically.
Photo: Reuters
The alliance’s core mission was last updated in 2010 and is due to be revised.
Truss’ comments came a day after she called for more rapid action to help Taiwan with defensive weapons in case Beijing invaded, saying that was a key lesson from the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“I do think that with China extending its influence through economic coercion and building a capable military, there is a real risk that they draw the wrong idea that results in a catastrophic miscalculation such as invading Taiwan,” Truss said, speaking alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.
Photo: AP
One of the areas addressed by the G7 summit in southern Germany, which ended earlier this week, was efforts to offer more Western infrastructure money for developing nations, a response to China’s Belt and Road Initiative that seeks to bring influence through similar investment.
Given the threat from both China and Russia, there is a “need to reach outward and create that network of liberty of fellow like-minded countries,” Truss said.
G7 countries such as Australia should use their “economic weight” to challenge China, she said, adding that countries such as the UK could even rethink their approach to trade with Beijing.
“I think historically we haven’t used that economic power,” she said.
“We’ve been equidistant, if you like, about who we trade with, who we work with. And I think countries are becoming much more focused now on, is this trade with trust, do we trust this partner? Are they going to use it to undermine us, or are they going to use it for the mutual benefit of both of our economies? So trade has got a lot more geopolitical,” she added.
Speaking on Tuesday before the UK House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Committee, Truss went notably beyond the standard government language on Taiwan by saying there was a need to provide it with defensive weapons.
“We should have done things earlier. We should have been supplying the defensive weapons into Ukraine earlier,” she said. “We need to learn that lesson for Taiwan. Every piece of equipment we have sent takes months of training, so the sooner we do it, the better.”
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old