Last Updated: August 30, 2023, 17:44 IST
London, United Kingdom (UK)
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attend a meeting at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China August 30, 2023. (Reuters)
British lawmakers describe Taiwan’s statehood qualifications, drawing China’s ire. UK’s China strategy urged for coherence. Read the report’s insights
A top panel of British lawmakers has described Taiwan as “an independent country” that possesses all the qualifications for statehood. This reference in the House of Commons Committee report is expected to rile China, given its assertive claim over the democratic island.
“Taiwan is already an independent country, under the name Republic of China (ROC). Taiwan, 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,” read the report, spearheaded by the committee’s chair Alicia Kearns.
This morning we publish our report on the Indo-Pacific Tilt.We conclude the shift in focus is absolutely right – the eastward shift globally is undeniable.
But the Govt has yet to fully capitalise on its flagship foreign policy. We call for the Govt to: https://t.co/sdbRXN0hH4
— Alicia Kearns MP (@aliciakearns) August 30, 2023
This report follows PM Rishi Sunak’s efforts to manage China ties following continued tensions. Though Beijing is London’s fourth-largest trading partner, concerns remain on rights issues in Hong Kong and Beijing’s support for Russia amid the Ukraine war.
In the report titled “Tilting Horizons: The Integrated Review and the Indo-Pacific,” British MPs have urged their government to form a more coherent and unified approach to China.
“Concern over a lack of consistent and coherent policy on China that was creating uncertainty for the business community was expressed by a representative of the UK business sector in the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee inquiry into the UK and China’s security and trade relationship,” it added.
The lawmakers described Beijing as “a threat to the UK and its interests”, saying that “Increased assertiveness is inherent within competition between nations, however, the behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party is currently characterised by increased aggression towards the UK.”
In the 87-page report, the committee also urged Foreign Secretary Cleverly and PM Sunak to release an unclassified version of their China strategy and to expand cooperation with Taiwan.
“The Government should urgently publish an unclassified version of its China Strategy to ensure cross-government coherence and also publish sector-specific guidance to support, in particular, industries of critical national importance, national security, or data-intensive industries,” the report read.
Incidentally, the House of Commons report was released as Cleverly was meeting top-level Chinese officials in Beijing for the first time in five years. His trip was met with criticism back home but the Foreign Secretary insists some engagement with the world’s second-largest economy is key to furthering national interests.
Speaking to the BBC, Cleverly stressed that his visit aimed to address areas of disagreement directly and collaborate in mutual interests. He argued the importance of re-establishing communication lines to avoid misinterpretations, mistrust, and errors resulting from limited face-to-face engagement.
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