New Delhi: A British parliamentary committee has recognised Taiwan — which China considers a breakaway province — as an “independent country”, a first for the UK. The foreign affairs committee made the statement in a report on the UK government’s “tilt to the Indo-Pacific”.
The report was released Wednesday, when UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly was on a 24-hour visit to China, the first by such a senior British government representative in five years.
The foreign affairs committee has urged the UK government to pursue closer ties with Taiwan, with which it currently has no diplomatic relations.
“Taiwan is already an independent country, under the name Republic of China,” the report states. “Taiwan possesses all the qualifications for statehood, 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.”
Recognising Taiwan’s sovereignty, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament accused China of “explicit effort(s) to coerce Taiwan, or to take it by force”, violating the rights of Taiwanese citizens and attempting to “create an additional province of the PRC (People’s Republic of China).”
“China is seeking to project its power worldwide by exerting pressure, economic as well as diplomatic, on countries to recognise its sovereignty over Taiwan,” the report adds.
It also notes that the UK’s position of merely acknowledging Beijing’s ‘One-China’ policy should be better understood across all government departments for growing ties with the island nation.
The panel has urged the UK to “exert pressure” on China to allow Taiwan to join international organisations such as the WHO.
Following the report, the committee was accused of “distorting” facts by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, who urged the British Parliament “to abide by the ‘One-China’ principle and stop sending wrong signals to Taiwan independence separatist forces”.
Meanwhile, Taiwan’s foreign ministry said, “Delighted to see the UK Foreign Affairs Committee’s report acknowledging Taiwan’s sovereignty & supporting its international participation.”
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Need for ‘unclassified’ China strategy
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament is an 11-member panel headed by Conservative MP Alicia Kearns.
The panel’s new report focuses on numerous issues in the Indo-Pacific, from ties with partner countries such as Japan, South Korea, India, and Indonesia, to organisations such as QUAD and ASEAN.
Calling the Chinese Communist Party’s actions across the globe “a threat to the UK and its interests”, the committee has urged the government to publish an “unclassified version of its China Strategy”.
The panel has expressed agreement with a report released by the UK Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) earlier this year, which said the UK must adopt long-term strategies to counter China. The report said the UK government had “no strategy” to tackle China’s growing threat to national security, with its present approach too focused on short-term economics rather than long-term risks.
The foreign affairs committee has recommended that the British government plan a coherent China policy so that professionals such as academics and businesspeople can be guided on how to operate with and in China.
It has also urged the government to announce a policy of “zero tolerance of transnational repression”, and to “be prepared to expel any foreign diplomats who engage in intimidation of, or physical attacks on, British citizens or those who seek refuge on UK shores”.
On UK-India FTA & joining QUAD
Discussing strategy to diversify the UK’s supply chains, the report describes India as an alternative to China with regard to “low-tech labour-intensive products”.
However, the panel also seeks to call out the Indian government’s action against local BBC offices, saying its tax raids were “bogus… to curb the BBC’s freedom of expression”.
It has also questioned why India hasn’t condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and why New Delhi has increased oil trade with Russia. “Adoption of autocratic tendencies” would threaten ties between the two countries, the report notes.
On the ongoing talks between New Delhi and London for a free trade agreement (FTA), the panel has recommended that a deadline be set for the “early conclusion of negotiations”. It has also called for the government to consider negotiations with India on “supply chain and critical minerals agreements” and increase cooperation with India on manufacturing and maritime security.
Last week, during a three-day visit to India, UK Secretary of State for Business and Trade Kemi Badenoch stated that FTA talks are in the “final stages” and discussions are under way on “business mobility”.
So far, India and the UK have held 11 rounds of negotiations and, of 26 chapters in the proposed FTA, 19 have been closed.
The panel has also called for the UK to pursue becoming a member of the QUAD, in line with its strengthening role in the Indo-Pacific.
“India’s partnership with Australia, Japan and the US in the Quad offers a golden opportunity to strengthen these defence ties and the UK should be directly involved in it as a full member,” the committee report states.
(Edited by Sunanda Ranjan)