The UK government said earlier in the day that UK Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands would travel to Taiwan with an official two-day visit on Monday. Hands is scheduled to co-host the 25th annual UK-Taiwan Trade Talks in Taipei, meet with the head of the Taiwanese administration, Tsai Ing-wen, and sign a Memorandum of Understanding to increase collaboration on technology and innovation.
"We have repeatedly stated China's fundamental position on the Taiwan issue. There is only one China in the world, and Taiwan is an integral part of China's territory. China strongly opposes any official contact between Taiwan and countries that have diplomatic relations with China," Zhao told a briefing.
The spokesman emphasized that the One-China principle is the political basis for the development of bilateral relations between Beijing and London.
"We call on the British side to respect China’s sovereignty, strictly abide by the One-China principle, cease all forms of official contact with Taiwan and stop sending false signals to pro-independence separatist forces," Zhao noted.
Commenting on the British policies regarding Taipei, political observer Bi Dianlong noted that playing the "Taiwan card" is the most obvious way for London to distract the nation from internal problems during a period of political volatility.
He added that in order to gain respect worldwide and to return to pragmatic policies, the UK "needs not only a stable government and responsible politicians, but even more - to get rid of the political inertia that has arisen due to reliance on the United States and use of someone else's authority".
The situation around Taiwan escalated after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island in early August. Beijing condemned Pelosi's trip, which it regarded as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military exercises in the vicinity of the island. Despite this fact, several countries, including Germany, have sent delegations to the island since then, further increasing tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence.
Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.