Xi Jinping's Mouthpiece Lashes Out At UK Over British Minister's Planned Visit To Taiwan

Chinese President Xi Jinping's mouthpiece said the U.K. must stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan after a British minister’s office confirmed that he would be visiting Taipei this week for trade talks.

What Happened: The U.K.'s Department for International Trade said Greg Hands, Minister of State for Trade, will be in Taiwan this week to meet President Tsai Ing Wen, drawing anger from China, which claims sovereignty over the island nation, reported Reuters. 

Zhao Lijian, a spokesman at the Chinese foreign ministry, said at a media briefing that China resolutely opposed any form of official exchanges between a country with whom it has diplomatic ties and Taiwan.

“We urge the British side to stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan and stop sending wrong signals to separatist forces for Taiwan independence,” Lijian said, adding that Taiwan’s authorities need to stop colluding with foreign forces. 

China and Taiwan have long indulged in political differences as Beijing claims the island nation as its own territory, whereas the democratically appointed Taipei government rejects its sovereignty claims. 

Xi has often reiterated his proposal of peaceful “reunification” with the self-governing island nation. His government has said Taiwan could have its own “social system different from the mainland” to ensure their religious freedoms and way of living, but that was “under the precondition of ensuring national sovereignty, security, and development interests.” 

China also recently said it’s closer to achieving "complete reunification" with Taiwan after it handed out another five-year term to Xi.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden has vowed to intervene militarily to defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack.

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