- Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss to visit Taiwan and warn against submitting to China's demands
- The lawmaker's trip to the self-governing island is expected to risk Britain's relations with Beijing further
- Truss is the most well-known UK politician to visit Taiwan since former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher traveled to the island in the 1990s
Former British Prime Minister Liz Truss visits Taiwan on Wednesday and is expected to warn against meeting China's demands while showing support for the self-governed island's democracy.
Truss' visit and agenda are expected to potentially damage Britain's already-tense relations with Beijing regarding the issue. She is the most well-known UK politician to visit Taiwan since former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher traveled to the island in the 1990s.
Liz Truss To Visit Taiwan
Furthermore, Truss' trip to Taiwan is when relations between Britain and China are at their lowest in the past few decades. As per US News, the former UK prime minister represents a hawkish wing of the governing Conservative Party that is opposed to the British government's approach with China.
This includes lawmakers trying to engage with Chinese counterparts in areas such as trade and climate change while also trying to limit national security threats. On the other hand, French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to distance Europe from any involvement in the China-Taiwan controversy.
However, Truss said that choosing to do so would be completely irresponsible for European nations. She pushed back against some officials' comments that said the island is too far away or is not important.
The situation comes as China claims that Taiwan is part of its territory and has not renounced using aggressive force to unify it with the mainland. Previously, Beijing condemned visits by British lawmakers to the self-governed island, calling them interference in China's internal affairs.
In a statement, Truss said that there needs to be support given to democracies such as Taiwan despite the aggression that it faces from China. The former British prime minister previously made remarks that focused on rebuilding her political reputation and mounting pressure on Rishi Sunak, her successor, according to Reuters.
China-Taiwan Relations
On the other hand, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in London criticized Truss' visit to Taiwan, calling it a "dangerous political show" that they argued would only harm the United Kingdom.
Last month, Foreign Minister James Cleverly said it would be a mistake to isolate Beijing. The remarks were the clearest attempt to explain Britain's current stance on the China-Taiwan issue under Prime Minister Sunak.
On Tuesday, the Chinese military said that it is prepared to "resolutely smash any form of Taiwan independence." The remarks come as the United States is reportedly preparing to accelerate the sale of various defensive weapons and other military assistance to Taiwan.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Tan Kefei warned that the recent exchanges between the US and Taiwan militaries were extremely wrong. According to ABC News, Tan added that Beijing's Liberation Army continues to bolster its military training and preparations.
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