BEIJING (Dispatches) - China has accused a committee of British legislators visiting Taiwan of “gross interference” in its internal affairs and warned that it could be “met with forceful responses”.
The ongoing visit to Taiwan by members of the British parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee is a “flagrant violation” of the “one-China principle“, the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom said in a statement posted on Twitter on Thursday.
“The Chinese side urges the UK side to abide by its commitment, stop any actions that violate the one-China principle, and stop interfering in China’s internal affairs,” the embassy’s spokesperson said in the statement.
“Moves of the UK side that undermine China’s interests will be met with forceful responses from the Chinese side.”
The visit sent the “wrong signal” to those who want Taiwan to be independent, the statement said.
The visit is part of the committee’s work in studying a British shift in foreign policy towards the Indo-Pacific region, which London has considered an economic and diplomatic priority since leaving the European Union.
“The Indo-Pacific, and the strength of our relationships in the region, is of huge importance to the UK. Within the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan’s voice is unique and invaluable,” committee chair Alicia Kearns said in a statement ahead of the five day visit.
“The one-China principle is a recognized basic norm of international relations and a universal consensus of the international community. It is also the political basis for the establishment and development of diplomatic relations between China and the UK,” the statement added.
In a meeting with Kearns and her accompanying delegation at the presidential office, Tsai thanked Britain for its support to Taiwan.
“We believe that democratic countries must stand more united than ever in the face of authoritarian expansion,” she said. “Hence, we place immense importance on fostering Taiwan-Britain relations.”
The United States routinely sends its warships and warplanes to the South China Sea, provoking Beijing.
On November 29, the Chinese military said it had chased away the USS Chancellorsville, a guided-missile cruiser after it “illegally intruded” into waters in the vicinity of the South China Sea’s Spratly Islands.