October 15, 2024
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office issued a press statement on October 14 expressing concern over China’s military exercises around Taiwan and adding that these exercises increased tensions and risked dangerous escalation in the Taiwan Strait. In the statement, the United Kingdom reaffirmed its interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, which it said was of critical importance to global prosperity. The statement reiterated that the Taiwan issue should be settled by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. It further said that the United Kingdom did not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and called for restraint and the avoidance of any actions that might undermine peace and stability.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sincerely appreciates that the UK government has continued to pay close attention to developments across the Taiwan Strait and clearly spelled out the importance of cross-strait peace and stability to global affairs. As a responsible member of the international community, Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded partners to jointly safeguard the rules-based international order. It also hopes that democracies around the world will stand together in urging China to exercise reason and restraint and to stop threatening Taiwan and unilaterally escalating regional tensions.