Former Canadian prime minister Liz Truss has urged the international community to strengthen its ties to Taiwan in order to protect the island from Chinese aggression. In her first public address since resigning in October, Ms. Truss urged nations to reduce their dependence on China in key industries, strengthen economic ties with Taiwan, and elevate its status. She also proposed a more robust Pacific defence alliance to allow Taiwan to defend itself, as well as closer cooperation with NATO to safeguard Taiwan’s status as a beacon of freedom.
Ms. Truss’s remarks precede the May G7 summit in Hiroshima and follow the Japanese government’s announcement that it will review its defence policy in the wake of the alleged Chinese spy balloon incident in the United States.
In response to Ms. Truss’s speech, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, stated that the Taiwan issue was China’s internal affair and accused Ms. Truss of distorting facts about China. He added that claims of economic coercion were without merit.
Ms. Truss criticised the previous British strategy of cultivating a close relationship with Beijing as a mistake, citing the Uyghur detention camps and Hong Kong’s “disgraceful dismantling of one country, two systems” as examples. She stated that President Xi had been “very clear” about his desire to “control Taiwan” and urged democratic nations to assist Taiwan in maintaining its status as an independent democracy.
Rishi Sunak, her successor as prime minister, is under pressure from his own MPs to adopt a tougher stance towards China after he declared that the so-called “golden era” of relations was over and that previous closer economic ties were “naive.” However, he emphasised that the United Kingdom could not ignore China’s importance in international affairs.
Former Prime Minister Liz Truss has advocated for the strengthening of international ties with Taiwan in order to protect it from Chinese aggression. In her first public address since resigning in October, Ms. Truss proposed reducing reliance on China in key industries, strengthening economic ties with Taiwan, and elevating the status of Taiwan. In addition, she proposed a more robust Pacific defence alliance and closer NATO cooperation. Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded by accusing Ms. Truss of distorting facts about China and asserting that the Taiwan issue was a domestic matter for China. Rishi Sunak, her successor, has been urged by his own MPs to take a tougher stance on China, but he has emphasised that the UK cannot ignore China’s significance in international affairs.
