UK summons Chinese ambassador over ‘aggressive & wide-ranging escalation’ against Taiwan

UK Foreign Secretary Liz Truss ordered officials to summon the Ambassador of China to Britain, Zheng Zeguang. He has been summoned over China's "aggressive and wide-ranging escalation against Taiwan" over the last week in response to US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. Notably, China termed Pelosi's visit as a "provocation" by the US and responded to her visit with military drills surrounding Taiwan. 

Liz Truss in a news release said that she has ordered the officials to summon the Chinese ambassador over Beijing's actions. She said that they have been witnessing China's increasingly aggressive behaviour in recent months, which poses a threat to peace and stability in the region.

Truss underscored that Britain calls on China to resolve the issues in a peaceful manner without posing any threat. She emphasised that the UK and its partners have condemned China's escalation in the "strongest terms" in the region around Taiwan. 

"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," Liz Truss said in the news release. 

Chinese Embassy claims Beijing 'firmly rejected' UK's 'irresponsible rhetoric' 

Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in the UK, said that ambassador Zheng Zeguang met with senior Foreign, Commonwealth & Development officials. Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang in his meeting "firmly rejected & strongly condemned" Britain's "irresponsible rhetoric" about Beijing's "legitimate & necessary" response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's Taiwan visit.

He dismissed UK's "so-called concern" over China's military drills. In another tweet, the Chinese Embassy in the UK asserted that Taiwan is an "inseparable part" of China and that no country has the right to involve in its internal matters. The Chinese Embassy called on Britain to follow its one-China principle and change its behaviour which is contrary to the principle. 

Zheng Zeguang describes Pelosi's Taiwan visit 'provocative'

Earlier on August 2, Zheng Zeguang had called Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan "irresponsible and provocative", which breached the one-China principle and provisions of three China-US joint communique. China started military drills after Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan. After Pelosi arrived in Taiwan, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced cancelling China-US Theater Commanders talks, China-US Defence Policy Coordination Talks (DPCT).

Furthermore, Beijing announced cancelling China-US Military Maritime Consultative Agreement (MMCA) meetings, according to the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Meanwhile, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it will be suspending China-US cooperation on the repatriation of illegal immigrants. 

Image: AP