UK expresses concern over Taiwan tensions in meeting with China

Britain's foreign minister James Cleverly on Wednesday expressed concern over tensions in the Taiwan Strait in a meeting with China's foreign minister Wang Yi, a spokesperson said in a statement.

Cleverly held a first meeting with his China's counterpart at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.

A privilege to be in New York for meetings at the UN General Assembly. I’ll be meeting key UK partners and discussing how we can take action on the pressing issues facing us all including food insecurity, defending democracy and standing with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/uF0RuGp1ig

— James Cleverly🇬🇧 (@JamesCleverly) September 20, 2022

Concerns have mounted in the international community that Beijing will encroach on Taiwan's sovereignty, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. 

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has said it is willing to make the utmost effort to strive for peaceful "reunification" with the island. 

Last month, a series of sea and air drills - that included firing missile over the island - followed a visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. 

The UN summit in New York also comes just weeks after the release of a UN report detailing serious human rights abuses against Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang region. 

China rebuked the UN report as "a patchwork of false information" and has set about lobbying other countries in the international body to thwart a possible call for further examination of their "anti-extremism campaign". 

Ken Roth, former execution of HRW, said China "more than any government in the past, is trying to undermine the UN human rights system".