Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss arrived in Taiwan for five days to meet with senior officials. She was the prime minister for 49 days in 2022, after serving as foreign minister for the year prior. As part of her trip itinerary, she delivered a speech at the Prospect foundation on Wednesday.
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Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss is calling for more countries to support Taiwan. Truss was invited by the Prospect Foundation, a Taiwanese think tank, to deliver a speech on how and why the international community should help Taiwan respond to China’s growing aggression.
Truss arrived on Tuesday night. She is the first former U.K. prime minister to visit Taiwan in 27 years, after Margaret Thatcher’s trip in 1996.
In her speech, Truss says Taiwan is standing on the frontline of “the global battle for freedom.” She says her visit is to demonstrate support for Taiwan and its people.
Truss says western countries have a responsibility to support Taiwan and hold China accountable in the coming years. Truss is also set to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and Vice President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) in the following days.
Her trip, however, drew criticism from China’s U.K. embassy. The Chinese embassy says her visit is a political stunt that will further increase cross-strait tensions. China has in the past retaliated by staging military drills circulating Taiwan when high-ranking officials visited, but it has not issued any warnings of such measures thus far.