Lawmakers from the United States and Prime Minister Boris Johnson set to meet.
In the global political landscape, upcoming events often stir debates and conversations. One such event is the scheduled visit of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Taiwan next week. Johnson, who is set to deliver a keynote speech at the annual Ketagalan Forum on Indo-Pacific security issues and meet with senior Taiwanese officials, will also attend the forum as a special guest.
This visit marks Johnson's first to Taiwan. The trip was first reported by the Financial Times and is scheduled to take place amid concerns expressed by some US congressional members about Donald Trump de-emphasizing security issues. US Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the US Senate Committee on Armed Services, is leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan this month, further highlighting the interest in Taiwan's security.
The proposed visit by Johnson comes at a time when US lawmakers are putting pressure on China. Reports suggest that they are unhappy with President William Lai delaying a diplomatically sensitive trip to the Trump administration. The Chinese embassy has urged Wicker and other lawmakers to cancel their plans to visit Taiwan.
The US-China relationship, particularly in terms of trade, has been a subject of much debate in Congress. As of mid-2025, U.S. congressional members exhibit a range of views on Donald Trump’s approach to security issues related to trade with China. Trump’s approach includes imposing and adjusting tariffs aimed at addressing national and economic security concerns posed by China’s trade practices.
The British government's review of a project due to national security concerns and the stalling of the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue and the UK-China Joint Economic and Trade Commission due to Beijing's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong further underscore the complexities of the UK-China relationship.
During his term as prime minister from 2019 to 2022, Johnson promoted stronger UK-China trade ties. However, his upcoming visit to Taiwan, which is part of a broader trip to Asia that includes a stop in China, could signal a shift in his stance.
The 2023 update of the Integrated Review explicitly mentioned Taiwan for the first time and reaffirmed the region as a long-term UK foreign policy priority. Johnson's visit to Taiwan, therefore, could be seen as a demonstration of the UK's commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, a strategic "tilt" that Johnson outlined in the 2021 Integrated Review.
As the world watches, the unfolding events promise to shed light on the intricate dance of diplomacy and the evolving relationships between nations. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wicker's upcoming trip, leaving many questions unanswered for now.
- The upcoming visit of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Taiwan is not only sparking debates within the global political landscape, but also highlighting the complexity of war-and-conflicts, policy-and-legislation, and politics, as it comes at a time when US lawmakers are putting pressure on China and the Chinese embassy has urged Wicker and other lawmakers to cancel their plans to visit Taiwan.
- The scheduled visit of Johnson, which is situated amid concerns regarding Donald Trump de-emphasizing security issues and the stalling of the UK-China Economic and Financial Dialogue due to Beijing's crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong, could signal a shift in Johnson's stance on China and indicate a major move in the general-news arena, particularly with the 2023 update of the Integrated Review explicitly mentioning Taiwan and reaffirming the region as a long-term UK foreign policy priority.
