Members of the House of Commons of Great Britain are going to visit Taiwan.
This is reported by The Guardian.
Earlier, American media reported on the plans of Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. China responded harshly to this information, threatening to launch a military strike on the island.
MPs will visit Taiwan later this year — probably in November or early December. Sources say the trip, which was originally planned for early this year but was postponed after one member of the delegation tested positive for the coronavirus, is intended to show Britainʼs support.
- The Chinese army has been actively building up its military power near Taiwan for the past three years. Since 2020, Chinaʼs official rhetoric has allowed "reunification" with Taiwan as a result of an armed invasion.
- Chinese leader Xi Jinping called on the military to "concentrate all their minds and energies on preparing for war." On May 23, 2022, the US president said that Washington is ready to use military force if China tries to seize Taiwan.
- On July 30, Nancy Pelosi started her Asian tour. Its route includes Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and Singapore. Taiwan is not officially listed as a place to visit. The day before, China had already threatened the US with a military response.
- Pelosi is the third-ranking US official and will be the highest-ranking US politician to visit Taiwan since 1997. Joe Biden said that according to the military, Pelosiʼs visit was not a good idea, but called the Chinese criticism of the trip "clearly futile and unnecessary."