China warns UK of 'serious consequences’ following Liz Truss' visit to Taiwan

Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss is in Taiwan for a five-day visit, making her the first former British leader to visit the country since Margaret Thatcher in 1996.

Truss gave a speech and was part of a panel discussion for a Taiwan think tank, the Prospect Foundation, in Taipei on Wednesday 17 May, where she urged current UK PM Rishi Sunak to label China as a 'threat' to UK security.

Liz Truss makes speech in Taiwan

In her speech, Truss pleaded the West not to work with China, warning that totalitarian regimes 'don't tell the truth'. She compared the tensions between China and Taiwan with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Truss also accused China of 'bully[ing] and coerce[ing] other countries'. She said:

[Beijing] are trying to limit visits, trying to silence Taiwan’s supporters and intimidate people internationally. I think we need to stand up to that bullying.

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Chinese embassy warns of 'harm to the UK'

Before her speech, the Chinese embassy to the UK implored Truss to stop defending Taiwanese independence, otherwise she would 'further expose herself as a failed politician and get more backlash from the Chinese people'.

The Chinese embassy issued a statement declaring Truss was being 'provocative'. An embassy spokesman warned:

British politician Liz Truss's recent visit to Taiwan is a dangerous political show which will do nothing but harm to the UK

Any violation of the one-China principle will have serious consequences for China-UK relations.

Truss then made a similar warning, telling reporters during a press conference:

All we can do, those of us who believe in freedom and democracy, is make sure that Taiwan is as protected as possible and the Chinese government would understand there are severe consequences if they tried to take Taiwan by force.

Sources used:

Express: 'China issues chilling threat to UK warning Truss's Taiwan speech will 'harm' UK'

BBC: 'Truss urges Sunak to class China as 'threat' to UK security'

Guardian: 'Liz Truss in Taiwan calls for ‘economic Nato’ to challenge China'

Reuters: 'Visiting Taiwan, ex-UK PM Liz Truss calls for tough line on China'