Source · Select Committees · Foreign Affairs Committee
Recommendation 49
49
Rejected
Paragraph: 165
UK's "One China" policy requires better understanding across Whitehall for appropriate Taiwan engagement.
Conclusion
[The UK’s “One China” policy is not the same as China’s “One China” principle. Rather than agreeing to China’s claim to Taiwan, the UK, like other liberal democracies, merely acknowledges Beijing’s position.] This policy of acknowledgment needs to be better understood across Whitehall departments to prevent policymakers from misspeaking or acting over-cautiously when it comes to interacting with Taiwan and Taiwanese officials. As part of this, the importance of the Taiwan strait, as a safeguard, should be understood.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government explicitly disagrees with the recommendation, stating it does not intend to publish an additional China Strategy, as its approach is already outlined in the Integrated Review Refresh and the former Foreign Secretary’s Mansion House Speech.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
165
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government · verbatim extract
Rejected
The Government has stated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait alongside our G7 partners. We agree with the recommendation to build on existing cooperation with Taiwan and likeminded partner countries - the Government remains in regular contact with our G7 and other like-minded partners on our shared priorities. We are increasingly concerned by the consequences should peace and stability fail in the Taiwan Strait – including to global supply chains and the global economy. China’s continued military activity near Taiwan is part of an ongoing pattern of escalatory activity and not conducive to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The Government agrees with the importance of capability and understanding across government departments on Taiwan and regularly circulates guidance on UK engagement with Taiwan and will continue to do so.
Read the full response on Parliament ↗