Liz Truss summons Chinese ambassador over Taiwan ‘aggression’
Liz Truss has summoned China’s ambassador to the Foreign Office over Beijing’s military “escalation in the region around Taiwan”.
Truss said she summoned the Chinese ambassador to “explain his country’s actions”, after President Xi Jinping ordered military drills that surrounded Taiwan last week.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) launched five live-fire military drills in areas surrounding Taiwan, after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island.
Beijing still regards the island as a part of China and expects other countries to not have official diplomatic relations with the Taiwanese government.
China today announced it had ceased the military exercises, but said that further “training and war preparation” was underway.
In a statement released this afternoon, Truss said: “The UK and partners have condemned in the strongest terms China’s escalation in the region around Taiwan, as seen through our recent G7 statement.
“I instructed officials to summon the Chinese ambassador to explain his country’s actions.
“We have seen increasingly aggressive behaviour and rhetoric from Beijing in recent months, which threaten peace and stability in the region.
“The United Kingdom urges China to resolve any differences by peaceful means, without the threat or use of force or coercion.”