Category: Questions

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN HL14909, tabled on 14 April 2021

Question
Lord Blencathra
Conservative

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have (1) to work with international partners to ensure that Taiwan is included at the forthcoming World Health Assembly on 24 May, and (2) to sanction any official of the government of China who attempts to exclude Taiwan from that Assembly.

Answer
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Conservative

Answered on
28 April 2021

The UK has been consistently clear that it supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations where statehood is not a prerequisite. This includes at the WHA, where Taiwan can make a valuable contribution. We remain in regular contact with our closest partners and the Taiwanese authorities, and continue to work to find a constructive solution.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 185493, tabled on 21 April 2021

Question
Anthony Mangnall
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he will support Taiwan’s attendance at the forthcoming 74th session of the World Health Assembly as an observer.

Answer
Nigel Adams
Conservative

Answered on
28 April 2021

The UK has been consistently clear that it supports Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations where statehood is not a prerequisite. This includes at the World Health Assembly, where Taiwan can make a valuable contribution.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN HL14876, tabled on 13 April 2021

Question
Lord Hylton
Crossbench

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for blocking (1) the government of China, and (2) Chinese companies, from acquiring British infrastructure in view of that government’s (a) oppression of the Uighur people in Xinjiang, (b) breaches of the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration, and (c) tactics in relation to Taiwan and elsewhere.

Answer
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Conservative

Answered on
28 April 2021

As the Integrated Review sets out, the UK as an open economy needs to engage with China. We will continue to pursue a positive economic relationship while at the same time increasing protection of our critical national infrastructure, institutions and sensitive technology, and strengthening the resilience of our critical supply chains, so that we can engage with confidence. In November 2020, the Government introduced the National Security and Investment Bill to Parliament, which represents a significant upgrade to the UK’s powers to intervene in transactions from any country that would undermine national security.

The UK has responded to China’s actions in Hong Kong by creating a new immigration route for British Nationals (Overseas) and their eligible family members and dependents, suspending the extradition treaty with Hong Kong and extending the arms embargo applied to mainland China to include Hong Kong.

In respect of Xinjiang, the UK has announced measures to help ensure that no British organisations, whether government or private sector, deliberately or inadvertently, are profiting from or contributing to China’s human rights violations in the region and, in March, we imposed Global Human Rights sanctions on four Chinese officials and an entity responsible for those violations, alongside the EU, US and Canada.

We are clear in our discussions with China that our longstanding policy on Taiwan has not changed: we consider the Taiwan issue one that should be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue. We have made clear our concern at any activity by China and Taiwan that risks destabilising the status quo.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 183208, tabled on 19 April 2021

Question
Rachael Maskell
Labour

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Chinese Government’s recent military threats against Taiwan, what recent steps he has taken in response to the political situation in Taiwan.

Answer
Nigel Adams
Conservative

Answered on
27 April 2021

The UK’s longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. We are concerned by any action which raises tensions in the region and risks destabilising the status quo. The UK Government considers the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue.

 

Question for Department for International Trade
UIN 185495, tabled on 21 April 2021

Question
Anthony Mangnall
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to strengthen the UK’s trade relationship with Taiwan.

Answer
Greg Hands
Conservative

Answered on
26 April 2021

The UK remains committed to strengthening its rich and wide-ranging trading relationship with Taiwan. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Taiwan was £7.0 billion [in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2020]. We are working with Taiwan to increase this further, including through our annual Trade Talks, ministerial engagement, and through engagements by the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Taiwan.

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 174740, tabled on 24 March 2021

Question
Andrew Rosindell
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment his Department has made of the implications for its policies of the increase in the number of intrusions by Chinese warplanes into Taiwan’s air defence identification zone in 2021.

Answer
Nigel Adams
Conservative

Answered on
13 April 2021

The UK’s longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. We are concerned by any action which raises tensions in the region and risks destabilising the status quo. HMG considers the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 175780, tabled on 25 March 2021

Question
Daniel Kawczynski
Conservative

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what plans the Government has to ensure British ships instigate freedom of navigation exercises in the straits between China and Taiwan.

Answer
Nigel Adams
Conservative

Answered on
13 April 2021

Many international ships, both military and commercial, travel through the Taiwan Strait and such actions are routine and non-contentious. All activities conducted by the Royal Navy are and will be in accordance with international law.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN 171505, tabled on 18 March 2021

Question
Sir George Howarth
Labour

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of bi-lateral relations between Taiwan and the UK.

Answer
Nigel Adams
Conservative

Answered on
25 March 2021

The UK does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but we do have a strong, unofficial relationship, based on dynamic commercial, educational and cultural ties. This relationship delivers significant benefits to both the UK and Taiwan and has featured a wide range of exchanges and visits, for example on environmental, judicial and educational issues.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN HL12772, tabled on 1 February 2021

Question
Lord Blencathra
Conservative

To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 22 January (HL11916), and reports of (1) hostile espionage, (2) threats to Taiwan, and (3) the persecution of Uighurs in Xinjiang, by the government of China, why the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office continues to refer to that government as a strategic partner.

Answer
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Conservative

Answered on
15 February 2021

Our approach to China remains clear-eyed and rooted in our values and our interests. As two global leaders with permanent seats on the UN Security Council, it is right for the UK and China to pursue a strong and constructive relationship in many areas. This does not mean that we hesitate to raise concerns and intervene where needed. This resolve was highlighted by the Foreign Secretary’s announcement of new, targeted measures in respect of Xinjiang on 12 January. While we continue to engage, we will always protect our national interests and hold China to its international commitments and promises.

 

Question for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
UIN HL12714, tabled on 28 January 2021

Question
Baroness Hoey
Non-affiliated

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to recognise Taiwan as an independent country.

Answer
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon
Conservative

Answered on
11 February 2021

The UK’s longstanding position on Taiwan has not changed. The UK does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan but we do have a strong, unofficial relationship, based on dynamic commercial, educational and cultural ties. The Taiwan issue is one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, through constructive dialogue.