COUNTRY OF CONCERN:
The foreign ministry welcomed the pact signed by Sunak and Kristersson, in which they vowed to counter the ‘systemic challenges’ posed by Beijing
By Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNA
A strategic partnership signed by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Friday emphasized the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and said that they are committed to deepening their ties to tackle global challenges, including “responding to the systemic challenges posed by China.”
“Recognising that the prosperity and security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions are inextricably linked, the United Kingdom and Sweden will work to bolster partnerships between Europe and the Indo-Pacific, including through the implementation of the EU and United Kingdom’s Indo-Pacific Strategies,” the agreement reads.
“Both countries reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and wider Asia Pacific,” it says, adding that they would also “continue to cooperate to raise concerns with China on human rights violations and abuses, including in Xinjiang and Tibet, and the continued erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy, rights and freedom.”
Photo: AFP
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday welcomed the partnership, saying that Sunak and Kristersson had expressed concerns about cross-strait peace and stability multiple times this year, including by issuing a joint statement from London in June.
Taiwan looks forward to working with the UK, Sweden and its other democratic partners to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, strengthen democratic resiliency and solidarity, and safeguard the security of the Indo-Pacific region, the ministry added.
Sunak and Kristersson signed the strategic partnership in the township of Visby, Sweden, during the Joint Expeditionary Force Leaders’ Summit. The military initiative led by the UK consists of 10 European nations.
The strategic partnership signed on British Royal Navy destroyer the HMS Diamond stipulated a deepening of the UK’s and Sweden’s bilateral relationship in areas including defense, science and technology, innovation, energy and trade.
The UK and Sweden would enhance global cooperation based on shared values and in support of freedom and democracy, multilateralism, an open and stable rules-based international order and the rule of law, it said.
The two countries would work together against Russia’s “malign influence and disinformation campaigns,” the document said, adding that they would continue to respond to the systemic challenges posed by Beijing while engaging “constructively with China where it is consistent with our national interests and security.”
The two countries would keep urging China to stop providing Russia with military equipment used for the invasion of Ukraine, it said.
“The United Kingdom will support Sweden in its swift transition into NATO,” it said, adding that the two countries would also “explore opportunities to collaborate on long term support to Ukraine.”
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