In its July 15, 45-page report entitled “Securing the Strait: Engaging Taiwan in the U.K.’s Indo-Pacific Tilt,” the Henry Jackson Society (HJS), voice of imperial “Global Britain,” offers a blueprint for provoking war with China over Taiwan. In a brief overview of the report’s main points, the HJS insists that there is a “renewed urgency for the UK, its transatlantic allies and its Indo-Pacific partners to develop policies to help maintain the status quo in China-Taiwan cross-Strait relations.” That is, Taiwan is not part of China.
Given “recent geopolitical events,” HJS says, Western military planners have had to rethink how Taiwan can best defend itself from China’s “hegemonic ambitions throughout the Indo-Pacific,” which has led to a reconsideration of China as a reliable trade partner. Moreover, Biden’s “strategic clarity” on Taiwan’s defense has renewed debate on how to “arm Taiwan after a coordinated sanctions policy failed to deter Russia from continuing its attack on Ukraine.”
The report discusses Taiwan’s need for “deterrent weapons” and options for “arming the Taiwanese,” while Global Britain’s integrated review can lead to helping Taiwan “defend itself against forced repatriation” from China’s People’s Liberation Army. The focus must therefore be on “targeted coalition-building” to deter forced repatriation, “arming Taiwan'’ and supporting its participation in “global governance institutions.” Naturally, all of these considerations on Taiwan are in the U.K.’s national security interest—who knows, perhaps China would consider invading the U.K.! Making clear it’s bellicose intentions, the report also underscores the importance of positioning AUKUS, the trilateral U.S./U.K./Australia alliance, “as the cornerstone of an anti-hegemonic coalition to prevent China’s dominance of the Indo-Pacific and Beijing’s ability to project power throughout the region’s island chains.”
