UK summons Chinese envoy over ‘aggressive behaviour’ towards Taiwan

Seeking an explanation for Beijing’s missile launches into Taiwanese air space, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss calls in Ambassador Zheng Zeguang
Chinese embassy condemns London’s ‘irresponsible rhetoric’, saying ‘no foreign country has the right to meddle’ in its internal affairs

Taiwan

Chad Brayin London

Published: 10:15pm, 10 Aug 2022

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The British government summoned China’s ambassador to the United Kingdom on Wednesday to discuss what it said was Beijing’s “aggressive and wide-ranging escalation” against Taiwan following a historic visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week.

A readout of the meeting between Tim Barrow, the Foreign Office’s second permanent undersecretary, and Chinese Ambassador Zheng Zeguang was not provided by the British government, other than to say he was summoned to “explain his country’s actions”.

The Chinese embassy said via a tweet that the ambassador “firmly rejected and strongly condemned the UK side’s irresponsible rhetoric” in what it said was a “legitimate and necessary response” to Pelosi’s visit on August 2. Pelosi is the most senior American official to visit Taiwan in a quarter century.

Beijing, which considers the self-ruled island part of China, has condemned the visit as a betrayal of the one-China policy and undertaken a series of live ammunition military drills near the island.

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“I instructed officials to summon the Chinese ambassador to explain his country’s actions,” Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said in a statement.

“We have seen increasingly aggressive behaviour and rhetoric from Beijing in recent months, which threaten peace and stability in the region,” she added. “The United Kingdom urges China to resolve any differences by peaceful means, without the threat or use of force or coercion.”

Last week, Britain and other members of the Group of Seven nations slammed China for “increasing tensions and destabilising the region” with its response to Pelosi’s visit.

Truss, a China hawk, is the favourite among two finalists vying to replace Boris Johnson as prime minister.

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Voting is ongoing among about 160,000 members of the ruling Conservative Party, with a new prime minister expected to be named on September 5 when Parliament returns from its summer recess.

China’s embassy in Britain said via Twitter that it was “crystal clear” who provoked tensions in the Taiwan Strait, blaming the United States and “Taiwan independence” forces.

“Taiwan is an inseparable part of China’s territory. No foreign country, UK included, has the right to meddle with the internal affairs of China,” the embassy said. “What UK should do is to follow through its pledge on the one-China principle and rectify any behaviour which is to the contrary.”

The summoning of the ambassador represents the latest escalation of tensions between Britain and China over issues ranging from purported human rights abuses of ethnic Muslim Uygurs in Xinjiang to Beijing’s obligations regarding Hong Kong.

Johnson’s government has introduced a number of bills in Parliament this year targeting foreign influence in Britain, from politics to education.

His government also has used new powers to review and block deals by Chinese companies in Britain and is moving to replace China General Nuclear Power as partner in one of the Britain’s newest nuclear power plant projects.

Last week, Parliament shut down its TikTok account a week after its debut as lawmakers raised concerns about user data being sent to China. The TikTok app is owned by China’s ByteDance.

In May, Britain said it would scrap its foreign aid to China, saying the money could be put to better use in other countries.

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Without referencing China directly, Truss separately said in May that Britain would use its aid and investment to “challenge dependency on malign actors” and to offer alternatives for developing countries as part of the country’s new international development strategy.

On the heels of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan last week, the British government said it planned to increase its security and development links with Southeast Asia, including opening a regional investment office in Singapore later this year and offering advice on security and maritime law issues, including training with its Royal Navy.

It is part of Britain’s efforts to assert its presence in the region, ranging from striking a trilateral security pact known as Aukus with Australia and the United States last year to counter China’s expansion in the Indo-Pacific, to announcing plans to permanently deploy two warships to the region.

Additional reporting by Agence France-Presse and Reuters