Senior UK security minister breaks with convention to meet Taiwanese minister: Source

Britain’s security minister, Tom Tugendhat, met Taiwan’s digital minister on Wednesday, people with knowledge of the talks said, a meeting that breaks with conventional British foreign policy and risks infuriating the Chinese government.

Britain only has formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, but maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei. Although junior British ministers hold talks with their Taiwanese counterparts, the convention was that senior British ministers do not meet with Taiwanese officials.

One source said the meeting with the Taiwanese minister, Audrey Tang, was about mutual security interests.

Tugendhat, who was sanctioned by China two years ago for speaking out about alleged human rights abuses in East Turkistan, is not a full cabinet minister but attends cabinet meetings in his role as security minister, where he is responsible for countering terrorism, domestic state threats and economic crime.

https://english.alarabiya.net/