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China has called the trip by British politicians to deepen ties with self-ruled Taiwan a ‘clear violation’ of its one-China policy.
China has accused a committee of British lawmakers visiting Taiwan of “gross interference” in its internal affairs and warned it could be met with “strong responses”.
The ongoing visit to Taiwan by members of the British Parliament’s foreign affairs committee is a “stark violation” of the “one-China principle”, the Chinese embassy in the United Kingdom said in a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday.
China, a democratic self-governing island, claims Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out the use of force to achieve its goals. Taiwan rejects China’s claims of sovereignty.
“The Chinese side urges the UK side to abide by its commitment, stop any actions that violate the one-China principle and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,” an embassy spokesman said in a statement.
“Moves by the UK side that harm China’s interests will be met with a strong response from the Chinese side.”
The statement said the visit sent the “wrong signal” to those who want Taiwan to become independent.
Embassy spokesperson on visit to Taiwan by UK Parliament House of Commons delegation https://t.co/ZasIiKSDDY pic.twitter.com/Oo2daJD2A6
— Chinese Embassy in the UK (@ChineseEmbinUK) December 1, 2022
The visit is part of the committee’s work to study Britain’s shift in foreign policy towards the Indo-Pacific region, which London considers an economic and diplomatic priority after leaving the European Union.
“The Indo-Pacific, and the strength of our relationship in the region, is of great importance to the UK. In the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan’s voice is unique and invaluable,” committee chair Alicia Kearns said in a statement ahead of the five-day visit.
A banquet was held for Minister Wu #UK🇬🇧 @HouseofCommons delegation to #Taiwan🇹🇼 He compared notes with MPs on growing authoritarian threats and other pressing issues at home and abroad. All agreed that cooperation between democracies is more important than ever. pic.twitter.com/KO7vfmUSEp
— 外外部 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) 🇹🇼 (@MOFA_Taiwan) December 1, 2022
The committee, which scrutinizes government policy, includes lawmakers from the ruling Conservatives as well as the opposition Labor Party and the Scottish Nationalists.
“It is entirely appropriate that democracies communicate with each other,” committee chair Alicia Kearns said in response to China’s statement.
“While the Chinese Communist Party has chosen to close the dialogue by allowing British MPs, I believe it is important to engage and listen to our friends across the Indo-Pacific.”
In March 2021, China imposed sanctions on nine Britons, including several elected lawmakers, for spreading “lies and disinformation” about alleged human rights abuses in Xinjiang.
Britain’s diplomatic relations with China have been strained for years, amid human rights, economic policy and mass protests that rocked the former British colony of Hong Kong in 2019 and led to the imposition of sweeping national security legislation.
This week Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the so-called “golden era” of relations between London and Beijing was over and that China posed a “systematic challenge” to the UK’s “values and interests”.
British lawmakers met Taiwanese Premier Su Tseng-chang on Thursday and are due to meet President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday.
“We look forward to deepening the friendly and cooperative relationship between Taiwan and the UK through these face-to-face exchanges and continuing to work together for the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region,” Tsai’s office said.
In August, then-Speaker of the US House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, visited Taiwan, triggering unprecedented large-scale war games from China and further straining relations between Beijing and the United States.
The US has formal relations with China, but provides Taiwan with tools to defend itself under its policy of “strategic ambiguity”.
Beijing has stepped up pressure on the island since Tsai was first elected president in 2016, but a growing number of US and European politicians have expressed willingness to travel to Taipei despite Chinese objections.
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