The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the British parliament for showing concern over the increasing threat to regional peace emanating from China after a report by British lawmakers described Taiwan as “an independent country” for the first time.
Taiwan “sincerely welcomes” the concern the British parliament displayed for the situation in the Indo-Pacific region and China’s threats, the ministry said in a news release.
The nation views the UK as a like-minded partner, and is eager to boost bilateral ties in trade and investment, cooperation in the semiconductor industry and information technology, offshore wind power and other areas, it said.
Photo: AFP
Published by the British House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee concurrently with British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs James Cleverly’s visit to Beijing, the report on Britain’s so-called “Indo-Pacific tilt” said that Taiwan “is already an independent country under the name Republic of China.”
“Taiwan possesses all the qualifications for statehood, including a permanent population, a defined territory, government and the capacity to enter into relations with other states — it is only lacking greater international recognition,” the report said.
China poses “a threat to the UK and its interests,” it said. “The behavior of the Chinese Communist Party is currently characterized by increased aggression” to Britain.
The document also criticized British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s approach to China saying: “There is confusion in Whitehall about the tilt to the Indo-Pacific, stemming from a failure to explain the policy, and its implications for resource allocation, across government.”
The report urged London to develop “deterrence diplomacy,” increase resilience and defense cooperation with allies, counter Beijing’s threats and protect “the self-determination of the people of Taiwan.”
Cleverly told Bloomberg in an interview that the report was “not a UK government document” and added that London’s stance “has remained consistent that there should be no unilateral change to the status quo.”
“Any changes should be done through discussions on both sides of the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
British Member of Parliament Alicia Kearnes, who is chair of the committee, told Agence France-Presse that “we acknowledge China’s position, but we as [the foreign affairs committee] do not accept it.”
“Strengthening our diplomatic, defensive and economic ties in the Indo-Pacific is critical — if the West leaves a vacuum, China will eagerly fill it,” Kearnes said.
London should announce a policy of “zero tolerance of transnational repression,” including expelling foreign diplomats who intimidate or attack British citizens or those given refuge in the UK, she added.
PEACE AND STABILITY: Maintaining the cross-strait ‘status quo’ has long been the government’s position, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Taiwan is committed to maintaining the cross-strait “status quo” and seeks no escalation of tensions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said yesterday, rebutting a Time magazine opinion piece that described President William Lai (賴清德) as a “reckless leader.” The article, titled “The US Must Beware of Taiwan’s Reckless Leader,” was written by Lyle Goldstein, director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Defense Priorities think tank. Goldstein wrote that Taiwan is “the world’s most dangerous flashpoint” amid ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He said that the situation in the Taiwan Strait has become less stable
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi yesterday lavished US President Donald Trump with praise and vows of a “golden age” of ties on his visit to Tokyo, before inking a deal with Washington aimed at securing critical minerals. Takaichi — Japan’s first female prime minister — pulled out all the stops for Trump in her opening test on the international stage and even announced that she would nominate him for a Nobel Peace Prize, the White House said. Trump has become increasingly focused on the Nobel since his return to power in January and claims to have ended several conflicts around the world,
REASSURANCE: The US said Taiwan’s interests would not be harmed during the talk and that it remains steadfast in its support for the nation, the foreign minister said US President Donald Trump on Friday said he would bring up Taiwan with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) during a meeting on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in South Korea this week. “I will be talking about Taiwan [with Xi],” Trump told reporters before he departed for his trip to Asia, adding that he had “a lot of respect for Taiwan.” “We have a lot to talk about with President Xi, and he has a lot to talk about with us. I think we’ll have a good meeting,” Trump said. Taiwan has long been a contentious issue between the US and China.
UKRAINE, NVIDIA: The US leader said the subject of Russia’s war had come up ‘very strongly,’ while Jenson Huang was hoping that the conversation was good Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and US President Donald Trump had differing takes following their meeting in Busan, South Korea, yesterday. Xi said that the two sides should complete follow-up work as soon as possible to deliver tangible results that would provide “peace of mind” to China, the US and the rest of the world, while Trump hailed the “great success” of the talks. The two discussed trade, including a deal to reduce tariffs slapped on China for its role in the fentanyl trade, as well as cooperation in ending the war in Ukraine, among other issues, but they did not mention
RSS