Submission Statement: “While its allies celebrate their ties with Taiwan, Britain kowtows to Beijing — again.” Edward Lucas criticizes the British government for declining Taiwan’s former President Tsai Ing-wen’s request to use the VIP channel at Heathrow Airport for an upcoming visit to meet with British lawmakers who support Taiwan’s democracy. The delay makes Britain look weak in the face of Chinese pressure and sets a poor precedent. Accommodating small Chinese complaints not only undermines Britain’s credibility and deterrence on larger challenges but also damages UK-Taiwan relations on important economic and security issues.
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Submission Statement: “While its allies celebrate their ties with Taiwan, Britain kowtows to Beijing — again.” Edward Lucas criticizes the British government for declining Taiwan’s former President Tsai Ing-wen’s request to use the VIP channel at Heathrow Airport for an upcoming visit to meet with British lawmakers who support Taiwan’s democracy. The delay makes Britain look weak in the face of Chinese pressure and sets a poor precedent. Accommodating small Chinese complaints not only undermines Britain’s credibility and deterrence on larger challenges but also damages UK-Taiwan relations on important economic and security issues.