The Foreign Affairs Committee is using the words for the first time, emphasized committee chair Alicia Kearns. Beijing views Taiwan as part of the People’s Republic of China and frequently threatens to take over the democratic island republic. China is also trying to push Taiwan towards international isolation and rejects official contact from other countries with Taipei.

“Taiwan has become an independent country, under the name of the Republic of China,” said a report on British foreign policy on East Asia. “Taiwan has all the requirements to become an independent nation, including a permanent population, defined territory, government, and the ability to forge relationships with other countries – it’s just that Taiwan lacks international recognition.”

“We acknowledge China’s position, but we don’t accept it,” Kearns said. “It is very important for the Minister of Foreign Affairs to firmly and eloquently support Taiwan and reiterate that we will uphold Taiwan’s right to self-determination.”

Human rights

Cleverly is the first British Foreign Secretary to visit China in five years. On Wednesday, he met Vice President Han Zheng and will also speak with his counterpart Wang Yi.

During his conversation, he spoke about human rights in China, among other things. “I think the Chinese government understands that the UK has been consistent” in defending human rights. “Therefore, I will continue to talk about this issue,” said the Briton.

British-China relations have been in shambles in recent years. London and Beijing, for example, have conflicting views regarding, among other things, the repression of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, a former British colony, the fate of the Uighurs, China’s Turkic-speaking Muslim minority, and alleged human rights abuses in Tibet.

China’s foreign minister has been very sharp on this point, saying that “Hong Kong and Xinjiang (region where the Uyghur minority is oppressed, ed.) domestic affairs”. The Chinese government will not tolerate “any foreign interference,” Wang Wenbin, spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, further explained. At the same time, Wenbin criticized the British Parliament report for “reversing right and wrong and confusing black and white”. (belgas)