The UK Parliament has officially named Taiwan an independent country for the first time. This is reported by Politico with reference to the report of the Parliament. The publication links such a step to the visit of British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly to Beijing.
According to Politico, the new wording in a document published by the influential House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee risks provoking a sharp reaction from Beijing. The publication attributed the move to British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, who became the first senior British envoy to visit Beijing in five years.
“Taiwan is already an independent country called the Republic of China. Taiwan has all the necessary qualities for statehood, including a permanent population, a defined territory, a government and the ability to enter into relations with other states – it only lacks greater international recognition,” the newspaper quoted the committee’s report as saying.
Committee chairwoman Alicia Kearns pointed out that London recognises China’s position but does not accept it. She noted that the British Foreign Secretary’s support for Taiwan and its right to self-determination is very important.
The committee’s report criticised the British government for not being bold enough in supporting Taiwan. Parliament is urging officials to start preparing sanctions with allies to curb Beijing’s military action and economic blockade of the island, which supplies 90 per cent of the world’s most advanced semiconductors.
“The UK could forge a closer relationship with Taiwan if it were not overly cautious about offending [the Chinese Communist Party]. The UK should relax self-imposed restrictions on who can interact with Taiwanese officials. The US and Japan have shown that communication is possible even at the highest levels,” the committee said.
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