Question / Taiwan: Elections

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 9589, tabled on 15 January 2024

Question
Catherine West
Labour

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he had made of the potential impact of the election of Lai Ching-te on regional stability.

Answer
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Conservative

Answered on
18 January 2024

The elections that took place on 13 January are testament to Taiwan’s vibrant democracy. The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We have restated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside our G7 partners.

 

Question / China: Taiwan

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 9377, tabled on 15 January 2024

Question
Mr David Lammy
Labour

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what steps he has taken to help prevent risk of conflict in the Taiwan Strait.

Answer
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Conservative

Answered on
18 January 2024

The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We have restated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside our G7 partners.

 

Question / China: Taiwan

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 9378, tabled on 15 January 2024

Question
Mr David Lammy
Labour

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the increase in Chinese aerial incursions and military activity in the Taiwan Strait.

Answer
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Conservative

Answered on
18 January 2024

The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. China’s continued military flights near Taiwan are part of an ongoing pattern of escalatory activity and are not conducive to peace and stability. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo, including increased Chinese assertiveness towards Taiwan. We have restated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside our G7 partners.

 

Question / Indo-Pacific Region: Armed Forces

Question for Ministry of Defence
UIN HL138, tabled on 8 November 2023

Question
Lord Rogan
Ulster Unionist Party

To ask His Majesty’s Government what plans they have to deploy UK Armed Forces to the Indo-Pacific region to help counter the threat from China to Taiwan.

Answer
The Earl of Minto
Conservative

Answered on
22 November 2023

The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo. This includes increased Chinese assertiveness towards Taiwan.

 

Question / Taiwan: Diplomatic Service

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 2221, tabled on 15 November 2023

Question
Navendu Mishra
Labour

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, how many British diplomatic staff are based in Taiwan as of 15 November 2023.

Answer
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Conservative

Answered on
21 November 2023

The UK has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan but a strong, unofficial relationship based on dynamic commercial, educational and cultural ties. The UK has no diplomatic staff in Taiwan. Approximately 50 staff work at the British Office in Taipei. This is a combination of staff from the UK and staff employed locally.

 

Question / Taiwan: World Health Assembly

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 2220, tabled on 15 November 2023

Question
Navendu Mishra
Labour

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he plans to take diplomatic steps to support Taiwan’s application to join World Health Assembly.

Answer
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Conservative

Answered on
21 November 2023

The UK believes that the people of Taiwan have a valuable contribution to make on issues of global concern. We therefore support Taiwanese meaningful participation in international organisations, as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite, and as an observer or guest where it is.

 

Question / British Virgin Islands: Taiwan

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 201328, tabled on 13 October 2023

Question
James Sunderland
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, for what reason his Department has not approved the draft Tax Information Exchange Agreement negotiated between the British Virgin Islands and Taiwan.

Answer
David Rutley
Conservative

Answered on
23 October 2023

The UK Government is discussing, with the Government of the British Virgin Islands, the development of a draft Tax Information Exchange Arrangement between the British Virgin Islands and Taiwan. It would not be appropriate to comment on this publicly before these discussions have concluded. The UK Government welcomes the ongoing cooperation of the British Virgins Islands in this matter.

 

Question / Department for Business and Trade: China

Question for Department for Business and Trade
UIN HL10125, tabled on 13 September 2023

Question
Lord Alton of Liverpool
Crossbench

To ask His Majesty’s Government, with reference to the most recent visit by Lord Johnson of Lainston to the People’s Republic of China, who he met; what he discussed; what response he received to any representations he may have made on the government of China’s treatment of the Uyghur minority, threats to Taiwan, and imprisonment of pro-democracy advocates and lawmakers in Hong Kong, including the British citizen Jimmy Lai.

Answer
Lord Johnson of Lainston
Conservative

Answered on
27 September 2023

In China, I met businesses and investors. Whilst attending the China International Fair for Trade in Services, I was briefly introduced to the Minister of Commerce and the Party Secretary of Beijing. I expressed support for our trade and investment relationship, where it is consistent with our values and national security.

On 30 August, The Foreign Secretary visited China meeting senior government figures. He emphasised the UK’s position on the mass incarceration of the Uyghur people in Xinjiang, the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and raised rights and freedoms in Hong Kong, including the case of Jimmy Lai.

 

Question / Department for Education: Taiwan

Question for Department for Education
UIN 196279, tabled on 1 September 2023

Question
Elizabeth Truss
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 14 June 2023 to Question 187963 on Department for Education: Taiwan, if she will identify which minister represented her Department for each meeting it held with representatives of the Taiwan Government in 2022; and if she will identify the (i) job title and (ii) grade of the most senior official who represented her Department when a minister was not present for each meeting it held with representatives of the Taiwan Government in 2022.

Answer
Nick Gibb
Conservative

Answered on
26 September 2023

No Department for Education Ministers met with representatives of the Taiwan administration in 2022.

The Department had regular official level meetings with representatives of the Taiwanese administration during this period, both in the UK and through the British Office in Taipei, in line with our longstanding policy on Taiwan.

 

Question / Taiwan Strait: Shipping

Question for Ministry of Defence
UIN 198071, tabled on 6 September 2023

Question
Daniel Kawczynski
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to help safeguard passage through the Taiwan Strait.

Answer
James Heappey
Conservative

Answered on
13 September 2023

The UK has a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We oppose any action which changes the facts on the ground, raises tensions and hinders the chances of peaceful settlement of the disputes. We will therefore continue to encourage open communication and de-escalation. As a P5 country, we have an interest in upholding international law and freedom of navigation. In 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration declared that China has no legal basis to claim its “historic” rights in the South China Sea.

Our maritime presence in the region has grown, with the deployment of two Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs), HMS SPEY and HMS TAMAR, supporting our persistent presence approach. HMS SPEY last navigated through the Taiwan Strait in January this year and the People’s Liberation Army Navy response to her transit was assessed as safe and professional.