Britain must cease any form of official exchanges with Taiwan, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Monday at a media briefing, commenting on a British high-ranking official's plans to visit the island this week.
"Taiwan's authorities need to stop colluding with foreign forces," Lijian stated. The announcement comes after the UK Department for International Trade confirmed on Monday that the Minister for Trade Policy and a member of parliament Greg Hand will visit Taiwan in an effort to boost trade links, co-hosting the 25th annual UK-Taiwan Trade Talks with Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen.
Hand is the last in the line of Western politicians paying a visit to Taiwan, a trend China strongly condemns. In September, Lijian blasted Taiwan's efforts to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a free trade agreement both the United Kingdom and China are also bidding for.
