We all know that the tensions between China and Taiwan have increased once again since last year after China announced military drills around the Taiwan Strait. Also, we are aware that the US has already pledged its support towards Taiwan and have said that they will not tolerate any action over any of its allies, including Taiwan and that they will do whatever it takes to defend them. UK is also one of the countries that has openly pledged their support for Taiwan against China. Now, we have a statement from the former UK Prime Minister, Liz Truss, which is also the first after she was removed from her office just in a few months after becoming the PM.
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss has said in a statement that she wants the international community to build Taiwan’s defence and agree on a package of defensive, economic and political measures and that they need to do it “before it is too late”. She also adds that the world needs to take a tougher stance against China. She added, “Our governments must signal to the PRC that military aggression towards Taiwan would be a strategic mistake,”
She also touched on the Russia-Ukraine war and said that Western Countries were not quick to react to the “special military operation” from Moscow towards Ukraine and that action should have been taken much earlier than that. “When it comes to China, a failure to act now could cost us dearly in the long run,”
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is also under fire over his stance on China. Many in the party want him to classify China as a “threat” instead of a “systemic competitor”. However, they also believe that Rishi will take a softer approach towards China in an updated defense and foreign policy strategy that is expected to be published next month.
She also said that President Xi Jinping’s visit to Britain in 2015 was a mistake and added, “People don’t want to believe the worst will happen… That is part of what we are seeing with China,” so everyone has to act quickly or face their fears.
