Liz Truss, Britain’s Briefest Prime Minister, Meets Taiwan’s Leader

The final former British prime minister to go to Taiwan was Ms. Truss’s political idol, Margaret Thatcher, in 1992. Taiwan was prepared to look previous competition in Britain over Ms. Truss, stated Chen Fang-yu, an assistant politics professor at Soochow College in Taipei.

“Taiwan actually wants extra of this sort of consideration from each nation, as a result of provided that extra folks go to Taiwan and extra converse up for Taiwan, will the Chinese language Communist Celebration notice that many individuals are being attentive to Taiwan, and so they need to not act rashly,” he stated in an interview.

This week, Taiwan additionally launched a push for worldwide assist to rejoin the World Well being Group and attend the World Well being Meeting that opens on Sunday. Taiwan was an observer within the group from 2009 to 2016, however China blocked its participation after Ms. Tsai was elected president.

And on Thursday, the Biden administration emphasised U.S. assist for Taiwan by asserting that it had concluded its first settlement beneath a commerce initiative begun final 12 months. The settlement will cut back purple tape for companies delivery items between the 2 sides and promote commerce by small companies.

Ms. Truss’s journey has additionally come as Taiwan is making ready to carry a presidential election in January, when voters will select a successor for Ms. Tsai, who should step down.

On Thursday, Ms. Truss met Lai Ching-te, the vp of Taiwan, who’s the presidential candidate of Ms. Tsai’s Democratic Progressive Celebration. That get together favors asserting Taiwan’s separateness from China, and its formal platform requires establishing Taiwan “as a sovereign, impartial and autonomous nation,” a purpose that’s anathema to Beijing. Mr. Lai used his assembly with Ms. Truss on Thursday to amplify that message of standing tall in opposition to Chinese language strain.

However Alexander C. Huang, a professor at Tamkang College in Taipei who advises Taiwan’s opposition Nationalist Celebration, stated that the Nationalists would additionally welcome guests like Ms. Truss. The Nationalists preserve that they will create extra secure relations with China, whereas conserving Taiwan near america and its allies. The Nationalists anointed their candidate for the presidency, Hou Yu-ih, this week.

“Taiwan has no affect over the home problems with a pleasant nation,” Mr. Huang stated, referring to Britain. “We simply need to have extra worldwide consideration and visibility.”

John Liu contributed reporting from Seoul.