Category: Questions

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 15533, tabled on 21 November 2024

Question
Alicia Kearns
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether (a) he and (b) other Ministers in his Department have held meetings with Taiwan’s Representative in London in the last six months.

Answer
Catherine West
Labour

Answered on
26 November 2024

The Foreign Secretary and other FCDO ministers have not held meetings with the Taipei Representative in London in the last six months.

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 9394, tabled on 16 October 2024

Question
Sir Iain Duncan Smith
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department advised postponement of the visit to London of former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.

Answer
Catherine West
Labour

Answered on
24 October 2024

The UK’s longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. The UK does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but a strong unofficial relationship based on deep and growing ties in a wide range of areas and underpinned by shared democratic values.

There is a long history of visits between the UK and Taiwan, including many conducted independently of HMG.

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN HL2267, tabled on 7 February 2024

Question
Lord Alton of Liverpool
Crossbench

To ask His Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on aviation safety and regional stability of the decision on 30 January of the Civil Aviation Administration of China to adjust the M503, W122 and W123 flight routes near the Taiwan Strait median line.

Answer
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Conservative

Answered on
21 February 2024

The UK has regular discussions within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the importance of communication and coordination in the protection of air safety, especially when it comes to changes to airspace such as this.

We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and have underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside partners in previous G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ and Leaders’ communiques.

The UK’s longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed. 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.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 13498, tabled on 7 February 2024

Question
Sir Iain Duncan Smith
Conservative

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, if he will make an assessment of the implications for his policies of the recent changes to the M503, W122, and W123 flight paths around Taiwan.

Answer
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Conservative

Answered on
19 February 2024

The UK has regular discussions within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the importance of communication and coordination in the protection of air safety, especially when it comes to changes to airspace such as this.

We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and have underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside partners in previous G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ and Leaders’ communiques.

The UK’s longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed. 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.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 13497, tabled on 7 February 2024

Question
Sir Iain Duncan Smith
Conservative

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, what discussions he has had with the International Civil Aviation Organisation on changes to the M503, W122 and W123 flight paths in the Taiwan Strait.

Answer
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Conservative

Answered on
19 February 2024

The UK has regular discussions within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the importance of communication and coordination in the protection of air safety, especially when it comes to changes to airspace such as this.

We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and have underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside partners in previous G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ and Leaders’ communiques.

The UK’s longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed. 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.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 13496, tabled on 7 February 2024

Question
Sir Iain Duncan Smith
Conservative

To ask the Minister of State, Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, whether he has had discussions with his counterpart in China on changes to the M503, W122 and W123 flight paths around Taiwan Strait.

Answer
Anne-Marie Trevelyan
Conservative

Answered on
19 February 2024

The UK has regular discussions within the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the importance of communication and coordination in the protection of air safety, especially when it comes to changes to airspace such as this.

We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and have underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait alongside partners in previous G7 Foreign and Development Ministers’ and Leaders’ communiques.

The UK’s longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed. 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.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN HL1926, tabled on 25 January 2024

Question
The Marquess of Lothian
Conservative

To ask His Majesty’s Government what steps they intend to take to strengthen bilateral relations with Taiwan, including UK ministerial meetings with the President-elect, William Lai Ching-te.

Answer
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Conservative

Answered on
8 February 2024

The UK’s longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. The UK has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan but a strong, unofficial relationship based on deep and growing ties in a wide range of areas, and underpinned by shared democratic values. This relationship delivers significant benefits to both the UK and Taiwan and has featured a wide range of exchanges and visits, for example on trade, health and educational issues.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN HL1774, tabled on 22 January 2024

Question
Lord Alton of Liverpool
Crossbench

To ask His Majesty’s Government whether the Foreign Secretary intends to visit China; and if so, (1) what assessment they have made of the achievements of the previous visit by a Foreign Secretary in August 2023, and (2) whether he will raise (a) the government of China’s treatment of the Uyghurs, (b) the erosion of democracy and imprisonment of pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong, (c) the sanctioning of UK parliamentarians by the government of Hong Kong, and (d) the government of China’s threats against Taiwan.

Answer
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Conservative

Answered on
7 February 2024

We consistently raise China’s human rights violations, sanctions against UK parliamentarians and our objection to the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong with the Chinese authorities; most recently the Foreign Secretary did so with Wang Yi during their call on 5 December. On 17 December, the Foreign Secretary also called for the repeal of the National Security Law and an end to the prosecution of all individuals under it. 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. For future Ministerial visits – human rights remain a key component of our advocacy.

 

Question for Department for Business and Trade
UIN 12070, tabled on 30 January 2024

Question
Navendu Mishra
Labour

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to her Department’s policy paper entitled UK and Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership arrangement, published on 14 November 2023, whether she plans to negotiate a bilateral investment treaty with Taiwan.

Answer
Greg Hands
Conservative

Answered on
7 February 2024

The UK’s longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed: the UK has no diplomatic relations with Taiwan but a strong, unofficial relationship based on dynamic commercial, educational and cultural ties.

The Department for Business and Trade is currently working on an Enhanced Trade Partnership with Taiwan; currently there are no plans to negotiate a bilateral investment treaty with Taiwan.

 

Question for Department of Health and Social Care
UIN 12068, tabled on 30 January 2024

Question
Navendu Mishra
Labour

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the memorandum of understanding between the UK and Taiwan signed on 10 July 2023, what progress has been made to further cooperation on reciprocal health insurance agreements.

Answer
Andrew Stephenson
Conservative

Answered on
6 February 2024

A UK-Taiwan Healthcare Dialogue was held in July 2023, where reciprocal healthcare was discussed. We are awaiting further views from Taiwanese officials, who are consulting internally on the issue.