UK Lawmakers Intend to Visit Taiwan Amid Escalating Tensions in Region – Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The Foreign Affairs Committee of the UK House of Commons is planning to visit Taiwan later this year, probably in November or early December amid mounting tensions in UK-China bilateral relation and rising insecurity in the Taiwan Strait, The Guardian newspaper reported on Monday, citing sources.

According to the newspaper, the trip was initially scheduled for the beginning of the year, but it was postponed after one member of the delegation tested positive for COVID-19. The new delegation of the UK lawmakers, who may embark on the visit to Taipei in November-December, is likely to be headed by committee chairman Tom Tugendhat.

The visit of the UK parliamentary delegation is meant to signify London's support for Taiwan, which Beijing considers an inalienable part of its territory, The Guardian said, stressing that this would occur amid growing friction between the UK and China.

Last week, candidates for the Conservative Party leadership, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak, outlined their tough stance on China. Meanwhile, Chinese ambassador to the UK Zheng Zeguang accused some UK politicians of "peddling the fallacy of the so-called China threat."

Tensions over Taiwan have been mounting in recent weeks following the reports about a possible trip to Taipei by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The reports have sparked a major backlash from Beijing, which condemns any official contacts between the US and Taiwan.

The Chinese side has repeatedly claimed that by pursuing the trip Washington would infringe on the one-China principle and jeopardize US-China bilateral relations. Moreover, Beijing stated that it stands ready to act decisively to defend its state sovereignty and territorial integrity, while warning that the US would bear full responsibility for all the consequences resulting from the visit.