The Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom has issued a stark warning that Sir Keir Starmer must recognise China’s sovereignty over Taiwan or face a serious deterioration in diplomatic relations between London and Beijing.
Zheng Zeguang said the future of relations between Westminster and the Chinese Communist Party relies on the UK Government accepting that “Taiwan has never been a country” and that “both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China”.
The warning comes as Britain once again delayed a decision on whether to approve controversial plans for a Chinese “super-embassy” in London, days after ministers faced pressure over the collapse of a trial involving two men accused of spying for Beijing.
Mr Zheng claimed Britain made an “unequivocal commitment” to defend China’s ownership of Taiwan when diplomatic relations were established with the People’s Republic of China in 1972.
Citing 1972 Communique
The ambassador cited two sections from the historic communique in which Britain “acknowledges the position of the Chinese government that Taiwan is a province” of the PRC.
He added the communique “recognises” the Chinese Communist Party as the “sole legal government in China”, suggesting this forms the bedrock of bilateral relations.
Mr Zheng wrote: “It was only after the UK made this unequivocal commitment that formal diplomatic relations were established between China and the UK. This history must not be forgotten.”
The Chinese ambassador stressed that whilst Beijing was hoping for a “peaceful reunification” with the self-governing island, he warned that China was ready to do “whatever it takes” to regain control of Taiwan.
The statement represents one of the most direct warnings issued by a Chinese diplomat to the British government in recent years, and comes amid growing tensions over Taiwan’s status in the international community.
UK Pushes Back on Claims
Former Security Minister and Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat rejected Beijing’s interpretation of Britain’s historical position, telling The Telegraph that the UK has never recognised Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan.
“Since 1972, the UK has acknowledged the PRC’s strong views on Taiwan. It is a historical fact that we have never recognised or supported these claims, including absolute sovereignty to the island,” Mr Tugendhat said.
He condemned Beijing’s attempts to distort international law, including claims that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 confers dominion over Taiwan.
“Beijing’s attempts to distort international law, including claims that UNGA Resolution 2758 confers dominion over Taiwan, should be resisted. These are rightly matters for the Taiwanese people to determine. Using economic coercion to force others to submit does not make it legal,” the former minister stated.
Mr Tugendhat emphasised Taiwan’s strategic importance, saying: “More broadly, the strategic importance of Taiwan is tragically underappreciated. They’re a democracy, and an important partner in many fields, not least the production of one of the most valuable commodities on earth.”
Taiwan is the world’s leading producer of advanced semiconductors, manufacturing the majority of cutting-edge computer chips that power everything from smartphones to military systems.
Foreign Office Response
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office maintained Britain’s longstanding position has not changed regarding Taiwan’s status.
“The UK’s long-standing position on Taiwan has not changed. We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through dialogue, and not through any unilateral attempts to change the status quo,” the spokesman said.
The carefully worded statement reflects Britain’s delicate balancing act between maintaining economic ties with China whilst supporting democratic values and international law.
The UK’s position effectively acknowledges Beijing’s claims without formally recognising Chinese sovereignty over Taiwan, a nuance that has allowed diplomatic relations to continue for over five decades.
Beijing’s Domestic Messaging
In China, the fourth-highest-ranked leader in Beijing said on Saturday that China and Taiwan should work to achieve “peaceful reunification”.
Wang Huning, a Communist Party Politburo standing committee member in charge of dealing with Taiwan, said at an event in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the island’s “restoration” to Chinese rule that China would not tolerate any activities promoting Taiwanese independence.
The anniversary commemoration refers to the end of Japanese colonial rule over Taiwan in 1945, when control of the island was transferred to the Republic of China government, which later relocated to Taiwan after losing the Chinese Civil War in 1949.
Trump-Xi Meeting Looms
All eyes will be on US President Donald Trump as he prepares to host a face-to-face meeting with President Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea.
Washington and Beijing have hiked tariffs on each other’s exports and threatened to halt trade in critical minerals and technologies, creating significant economic uncertainty for global markets.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the Trump-Xi talk as a “pull-aside”, suggesting nothing formal has been scheduled. However, President Trump later told reporters the two would have “a pretty long meeting”, allowing them to “work out a lot of our questions and our doubts and our tremendous assets together”.
Beijing has not confirmed a meeting is planned between the two leaders, maintaining diplomatic ambiguity about the encounter.
Super-Embassy Controversy
The ambassador’s warning comes as the UK Government continues to delay approval for China’s proposed “super-embassy” in London, which would become Beijing’s largest diplomatic compound in Europe.
The £255 million project would see a former Royal Mint site in east London transformed into a vast diplomatic complex, but has faced opposition from local residents and security concerns from intelligence officials.
Ministers are under pressure to make a decision on the application, with critics arguing the facility would provide cover for espionage activities whilst supporters claim blocking it would damage bilateral trade relations.
The collapse of a recent espionage trial involving two men accused of spying for Beijing has intensified scrutiny of Chinese influence operations in the United Kingdom.
Taiwan operates as a self-governing democracy with its own military, currency and elected government, though only a handful of countries formally recognise it as an independent nation due to pressure from Beijing.
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Image Credit:
Prime Minister Keir Starmer attends the G20 Summit in Brazil — photo by Simon Dawson / No 10 Downing Street, licensed under the UK Open Government Licence v3.0 (OGL) and marked as Crown copyright. (commons.wikimedia.org)
