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Written Question
China: Visits Abroad
Tuesday 29th April 2025

Asked by: Baroness D'Souza (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask His Majesty's Government, following the reported recent visit of the Chief of Defence Staff to China, whether they will place minutes of meetings held with his Chinese counterparts in the Library of the House; and what assessment they have made of the impact of prospective Sino-British military cooperation on cross-Taiwan Strait stability.

Answered by Lord Coaker - Minister of State (Ministry of Defence)

The Ministry of Defence does not routinely publish readouts after individual bilateral meetings. The Chief of the Defence Staff met with General Liu Zhenli, Chief of Staff of the Joint Staff Department of the Central Military Commission, and they discussed a range of security issues reflecting the importance of military-to-military communications.

We have a clear interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. We consider the Taiwan issues one to 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.

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