The British parliament has for the first time referred to Taiwan as an “independent country” in an official document, breaking a political taboo as Foreign Secretary James Cleverly visits China this week.

The new language, adopted in a report published Wednesday by the influential foreign affairs committee of the House of Commons, risks a stinging backlash from Beijing and comes as Cleverly becomes the first top British envoy to visit Beijing in five years amid a frosty relationship.

Beijing has long denied Taiwan’s statehood, insisting the self-governing democratic island is part of its territory. Only 13 countries around the world recognize Taipei instead of Beijing diplomatically.

  • joel@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    uhh yeah, so anyway, this is good news for Taiwan because they have a MASSIVE country on their doorstep that has been threatening to invade for decades now, and having another powerful country recognise their existence is great because it discourages mainland China from invading.

    • LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml
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      1 year ago

      Tell that to Ukraine. So lucky to have the support of imperialist America who only have its best interests at heart.

      • Womble@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Unironically yes? They would have been conquered and subjugated to a hostile imperialist power if not.

        • LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml
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          1 year ago

          If America didn’t conquer and subjugate Ukraine then America wouldn’t have conquered and subjugate Ukraine. Tautology is tautological.

          • Womble@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            I know it might not be obvious to you, but the only imperialist power invading Ukraine is Russia.

            I know you think papa Vlad is going to bring back the Soviet Union and overthrow the capitalist pigs, but he isn’t. He wants to bring back the Russian empire of serfs. You know, the one the original Bolshevik revolution was against and that even Marx thought capitalism was in improvement upon.

            • LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml
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              1 year ago

              Russia is not an imperialist power, this is just some propaganda you were fed to try to paper over the hilariously bad idea of an “unprovoked” invasion.

              Agreed on the rest, he wouldn’t mind at all if Russia became an empire of slaves like the USA.

              • Womble@lemmy.world
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                1 year ago

                and what, pray tell, was the casus belli for this legitimate invasion of a neighbours territory?

                I hope youre not just going to say Russian security concerns, because you wouldnt be hypocritical and say thats fine and the bay of pigs wasnt fine for American security concerns now would you?

                • LarkinDePark@lemmygrad.ml
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                  1 year ago

                  and what, pray tell, was the casus belli for this legitimate invasion of a neighbours territory?

                  National security, duh? Why are you pretending not to know this obvious fact?

                  because you wouldnt be hypocritical and say thats fine and the bay of pigs wasnt fine for American security concerns now would you?

                  Well of course not. The BoP invasion had nothing to do with American security concerns.