UK FM summons Chinese envoy over Taiwan tensions

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
10 Aug 2022 18:31

The Chinese envoy is summoned over escalations triggered by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to Taipei.

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss summoned China's Ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, on Wednesday to demand an explanation for China's actions and rhetoric toward Taiwan.

In a statement, Truss said, "I instructed officials to summon the Chinese ambassador to explain his country’s actions."

“We have seen increasingly aggressive behavior and rhetoric from Beijing in recent months, which threaten peace and stability in the region," she added.

This comes as China conducted large-scale military drills around Taiwan, which were followed by an ongoing artillery drill by Taiwan as its Foreign Minister accused Beijing of preparing to "invade" the island.

The situation around Taiwan escalated following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to Taipei, despite China's repeated warnings and threats not to mess with the country's territorial integrity and sovereignty. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and opposes any direct official foreign contacts with the island.

Pelosi's visit led China to announce ending cooperation with the United States on a number of issues such as climate change, anti-drug efforts, and military talks.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi had stressed that China will leave no room for the pro-Taiwanese independence forces as the reunification of Taiwan with China is historically inevitable and all attempts to use Taiwan to contain China are doomed to failure.