In a direct and public challenge, Beijing’s ambassador has warned the new Labour government that Britain must accept China’s "ownership" of Taiwan or face a severe diplomatic breach.
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| China has faced pressure for the military drills it carries out surrounding Taiwan - GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images. |
LONDON – China has thrown down a sharp diplomatic gauntlet to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, issuing a public ultimatum that links the future of UK-China relations directly to Britain’s acceptance of Beijing’s sovereignty over Taiwan.
In a pointed article for The Telegraph, China’s ambassador to the UK, Zheng Zeguang, declared that the "key to ensuring the sound and steady development of UK-China relations" lies in the British government accepting two points as non-negotiable: that "Taiwan has never been a country" and that "both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to… China."
The intervention is a calculated power play, targeting a new government already facing a storm of accusations that it is "appeasing" Beijing.
Zheng warned that while China strives for "peaceful reunification," it is ready to do "whatever it takes" to regain control of the democratic, self-governing island.
A Calculated Test of a New Government
Zheng's article lands amid a firestorm of domestic security concerns that have put Starmer's government on the defensive.
The Labour government is already under intense criticism for what opponents call a "spineless" posture, particularly following the "deliberate collapse" of the high-profile espionage trial of former parliamentary aide Christopher Cash.
This has fueled accusations that the government is systematically avoiding confrontation with Beijing.
This creates a major dilemma for Starmer. His government has staked its reputation on a manifesto pledge to "kickstart economic growth," a plan that relies, in part, on pursuing foreign investment. Critics now charge that Labour is prioritizing these potential trade relations over mounting national security threats.
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| Taiwanese soldiers deployed to live-ammunition artillery training in preparation for Chinese aggression - Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images |
The most visible symbol of this tension is the formal application by China to build a massive "super embassy" in East London. The plan has sparked alarms from intelligence officials, who fear the building could contain a "spy dungeon" giving Chinese agents access to sensitive data cables serving the City of London.
A former Chinese government advisor, Victor Gao, recently warned that refusing the embassy permit would be "stupid" and that the UK should be "fully aware of all the consequences."
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| Taiwan Coast Guard vessels and speedboats undertake a joint-forces exercise in Kaohsiung - Daniel Ceng/Anadolu via Getty Images |
A "Willful Contempt" for History
The core of Zheng's argument is a controversial reinterpretation of the 1972 Joint Communique, which established diplomatic relations. He claims Britain made an "unequivocal commitment" to China's ownership of Taiwan.
"This history must not be forgotten," Zheng warned.
This claim was immediately blasted by senior UK political figures as a fabrication. The UK’s long-standing policy has been one of "strategic ambiguity"—it "acknowledges" Beijing’s position but does not "endorse" or "accept" its claim.
Tom Tugendhat, the former security minister, shot back forcefully: "It is a historical fact that we have never recognised or supported these claims, including absolute sovereignty to the island."
"Beijing’s attempts to distort international law... should be resisted," Tugendhat told The Telegraph. "These are rightly matters for the Taiwanese people to determine. Using economic coercion to force others to submit does not make it legal."
Political Backlash and "Spineless Failure"
The ambassador's "brazen threats" have ignited a political firestorm, uniting Conservative critics and putting Labour on the spot.
Alicia Kearns, a Conservative MP and former employer of the accused spy Mr. Cash, delivered a scathing assessment.
"The Chinese ambassador shows a wilful contempt towards the UK’s long-standing position on Taiwan," Kearns said. "Unfortunately, the Labour government has demonstrated an abject and spineless failure to take the ambassador to task over bounties and kidnap threats against Hong Kongers, let alone their assault on Parliament."
The Labour government, meanwhile, has attempted to project stability. An official Foreign Office spokesman stated simply: "The UK’s long-standing position on Taiwan has not changed... [the issue is] one to be settled peacefully by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through dialogue."
Emily Thornberry, a Labour MP and chair of the foreign affairs select committee, attempted to walk a finer line, stating that while the UK has "no official diplomatic relations with Taiwan, we have a strong, unofficial relationship."
This diplomatic crisis has become the first major foreign policy test of the Starmer government, forcing a direct confrontation between its economic ambitions and the stark warnings of its own intelligence and political allies.