June 25, 2025
The UK Cabinet Office issued National Security Strategy 2025 on June 24 following a comprehensive review of relevant issues, including the China audit, that was launched by the Labour government after it assumed office. The strategy noted the centrality of the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait in global trade and supply chains and underscored the importance of regional stability to the United Kingdom. It also indicated that there was a risk of escalation around Taiwan and reiterated that issues regarding Taiwan should be resolved peacefully through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. It further stated that the United Kingdom did not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and that the United Kingdom would continue to strengthen its cooperative relationship with Taiwan in a wide range of areas based on shared democratic values.
The day the national security strategy was issued, UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy briefed the House of Commons on the China audit and the government’s China policy, emphasizing that the United Kingdom’s long-standing position on Taiwan remained unchanged and that it would continue to deepen its vibrant ties with Taiwan in such domains as trade, education, and innovation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes these statements.
Following the release of the Strategic Defence Review on June 2, the national security strategy serves as another integrated policy document of the UK government. In addition to reaffirming the United Kingdom’s staunch position on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the strategy once again highlighted the fact that there is a high degree of international consensus on cross-strait peace and stability and that Taiwan plays an indispensable role in the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and the world.