TAIPEI, Nov 7 (Portal) – A British minister will visit Taiwan this week for trade talks and meet President Tsai Ing-wen, his office said on Monday, sparking an angry reaction from Beijing at the latest high-level engagement between a Western government off and the island.
China regards democratically-ruled Taiwan as its own territory and firmly opposes any official interaction between Taipei and foreign governments, believing it to be a sign of support for Taiwan’s separation from China.
Britain’s Department for International Trade said Greg Hands, Minister of State for Trade and also Member of Parliament, will meet Tsai and host the 25th annual Britain-Taiwan trade talks during his two-day visit.
“The personal visit to Taiwan is a clear signal of the UK’s commitment to strengthening UK-Taiwan trade ties. Like Britain, Taiwan is an advocate of free and fair trade, underpinned by a rules-based global trading system,” his office said in a statement.
Speaking in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said China firmly opposes any form of official exchange between a country with which it has diplomatic ties and Taiwan.
“We urge the British side to stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan and not to send false signals to the pro-Taiwan independence separatist forces,” he said.
Hands will also meet Taiwan’s top trade negotiator John Deng and Commerce Minister Wang Mei-hua, his office added.
Taiwan’s economy ministry declined to comment, saying the meetings it arranged were closed to the media.
Taiwan views Britain as a like-minded democratic partner and has been heartened by London’s concern over recent Chinese war games near the island and support for its participation in international organizations from which Taiwan is largely excluded over China’s objections.
Like Taiwan, Great Britain is applying to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Members agreed in February that the UK can proceed with its bid as it seeks new trade links after leaving the European Union.
China has also submitted an application for membership.
Britain has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but the two have close economic and informal ties, and Britain has a de facto embassy in Taipei.
Western lawmakers and other officials have increased their visits to Taiwan, despite strong objections from Beijing, which considers the island its own territory and balks at anything to suggest it is a separate country.
China held war games near Taiwan in August following a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei.
Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing; Adaptation by Lincoln Feast and Toby Chopra
Our standards: The Thomson Portal Trust Principles.