UK cautions it could fight China over Taiwan
Speaking to The Telegraph during a visit to Australia, Healey said Britain would 'secure peace through strength' if necessary – marking one of the clearest signals yet from a senior UK official regarding the possibility of direct confrontation with Beijing.
Healey made the remarks as the HMS Prince of Wales, a British aircraft carrier equipped with F-35 fighter jets, docked in the northern Australian city of Darwin. It is the first time in nearly 30 years that a British strike group has arrived in the region. The carrier is on a nine-month Pacific deployment, participating in Australia's Talisman Sabre exercise and visiting ports in Japan and South Korea.
'If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together,' Healey said when asked what London would do in case of an escalation around Taiwan.
The secretary then said he was speaking in 'general terms.' According to Healey, London's approach to Taiwan has not changed. China considers the island of Taiwan part of its territory under the One-China principle, and insists on eventual reunification. According to the Chinese government, peaceful reunion is preferable, but it reserves the right to use force if necessary.
Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, when nationalist forces retreated to the island after losing the Chinese Civil War. Most nations, including Russia, recognize Taiwan as part of China. The UK, as well as the US, also formally stick to the One-China principle while maintaining informal ties with Taiwan and supplying it with weapons and ammunition.
Last month, Beijing criticized a British warship's passage through the Taiwan Strait in Chinese territorial waters. Such actions 'deliberately cause trouble' and undermine peace in the area, it said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Russia Today
5 days ago
- Russia Today
UK cautions it could fight China over Taiwan
The United Kingdom could resort to military force against China in the event of an escalation over Taiwan, British Defense Secretary John Healey has said, though he emphasized that London continues to prefer a diplomatic resolution. Speaking to The Telegraph during a visit to Australia, Healey said Britain would 'secure peace through strength' if necessary – marking one of the clearest signals yet from a senior UK official regarding the possibility of direct confrontation with Beijing. Healey made the remarks as the HMS Prince of Wales, a British aircraft carrier equipped with F-35 fighter jets, docked in the northern Australian city of Darwin. It is the first time in nearly 30 years that a British strike group has arrived in the region. The carrier is on a nine-month Pacific deployment, participating in Australia's Talisman Sabre exercise and visiting ports in Japan and South Korea. 'If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together,' Healey said when asked what London would do in case of an escalation around Taiwan. The secretary then said he was speaking in 'general terms.' According to Healey, London's approach to Taiwan has not changed. China considers the island of Taiwan part of its territory under the One-China principle, and insists on eventual reunification. According to the Chinese government, peaceful reunion is preferable, but it reserves the right to use force if necessary. Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949, when nationalist forces retreated to the island after losing the Chinese Civil War. Most nations, including Russia, recognize Taiwan as part of China. The UK, as well as the US, also formally stick to the One-China principle while maintaining informal ties with Taiwan and supplying it with weapons and ammunition. Last month, Beijing criticized a British warship's passage through the Taiwan Strait in Chinese territorial waters. Such actions 'deliberately cause trouble' and undermine peace in the area, it said.
Russia Today
25-07-2025
- Russia Today
US-made microchips come at a cost
Microchips manufactured in the US cost as much as 20% more than the equivalent produced in Taiwan, according Lisa Su, CEO of US tech giant AMD, a leading buyer of the products. Washington has been pushing to boost domestic manufacturing of advanced semiconductors as part of its great power competition with Beijing. Access to such chips has emerged as a key battleground. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), pinned between the conflicting economic and geopolitical interests, announced it would shift some manufacturing to Arizona in 2020. Speaking at an artificial intelligence conference in Washington on Wednesday, AMD CEO said the chip cost difference was 'more than 5% but less than 20%.' However, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, she described the premium as worthwhile. 'We have to consider resiliency in the supply chain,' Su said. 'We learned that in the pandemic.' In 2022, then President Joe Biden signed legislation that allocated $280 billion to boost US domestic semiconductor production. More recently, AMD and President Donald Trump announced plans for $100 billion in new investments to build five additional chip fabrication plants on American soil. However, TSMC said its production in the US has faced challenges, including high construction costs, a shortage of skilled labor, and logistical hurdles. The Trump administration has also imposed export controls on high-end chips, particularly those used in artificial intelligence, in a bid to curb China's access to the most advanced technology. The restrictions have prompted Beijing to accelerate its own domestic chip development programs. Taiwan has been self-governed since the end of China's civil war in the 1940s, when nationalist forces retreated to the island. Beijing views the territory, under a US-backed government, as an inalienable part of China. The Chinese government has said it seeks peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but has repeatedly warned it would use force if Taipei declares formal independence. Taiwan's rapid industrialization in the 1970s, driven by low labor costs and foreign investment, helped pave the way for its semiconductor dominance. TSMC was founded in 1987 as part of that broader strategy to move into advanced manufacturing.
Russia Today
25-07-2025
- Russia Today
US-made Taiwanese microchips cost up to 20% higher
Computer chips manufactured by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) in Arizona cost as much as 20% more than those produced in Taiwan, according to the head of a leading buyer, US tech giant AMD. Washington has been pushing to boost domestic manufacturing of advanced semiconductors as part of its great power competition with Beijing. Access to such chips has emerged as a key battleground. TSMC, pinned between the conflicting economic and geopolitical interests, announced it would shift some manufacturing to Arizona in 2020. Speaking at an artificial intelligence conference in Washington on Wednesday, AMD CEO Lisa Su said the chip cost difference was 'more than 5% but less than 20%.' However, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, she described the premium as worthwhile. 'We have to consider resiliency in the supply chain,' Su said. 'We learned that in the pandemic.' In 2022, then President Joe Biden signed legislation that allocated $280 billion to boost US domestic semiconductor production. More recently, AMD and President Donald Trump announced plans for $100 billion in new investments to build five additional chip fabrication plants on American soil. However, TSMC said its production in the US has faced challenges, including high construction costs, a shortage of skilled labor, and logistical hurdles. The Trump administration has also imposed export controls on high-end chips, particularly those used in artificial intelligence, in a bid to curb China's access to the most advanced technology. The restrictions have prompted Beijing to accelerate its own domestic chip development programs. Taiwan has been self-governed since the end of China's civil war in the 1940s, when nationalist forces retreated to the island. Beijing views the territory, under a US-backed government, as an inalienable part of China. The Chinese government has said it seeks peaceful reunification with Taiwan, but has repeatedly warned it would use force if Taipei declares formal independence. Taiwan's rapid industrialization in the 1970s, driven by low labor costs and foreign investment, helped pave the way for its semiconductor dominance. TSMC was founded in 1987 as part of that broader strategy to move into advanced manufacturing.
