Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether he has made an assessment of the (a) immediate and (b) short-term threat posed to Taiwan by recent Chinese military activity in the region.

The Ministry of Defence pays close and persistent attention to Chinese military activity and its implications. The UK considers the Taiwan issue one that should be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. We do not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo. This includes increased Chinese assertiveness towards Taiwan.