Britain ‘ready to fight’ over Taiwan, defence secretary suggests

Britain is ready to fight in the Pacific if conflict breaks out over Taiwan, Defence Secretary John Healey told The Telegraph, Report informs.

John Healey was speaking on board the HMS Prince of Wales alongside Richard Marles, Australia’s deputy prime minister, as the ship docked in Darwin to join war games with allies, including the US.

Asked by The Telegraph about what the UK is doing to help countries like Taiwan to prepare for potential escalation from China, Mr Healey said: “If we have to fight, as we have done in the past, Australia and the UK are nations that will fight together. We exercise together and by exercising together and being more ready to fight, we deter better together.”

His comments are among the most robust from a British representative on the subject of possible engagement in a future war in the region.

Healey, however, said he was speaking in “general terms”, and said the UK would prefer to see any disputes in the Indo-Pacific resolved “peacefully” and “diplomatically”.

He added: “We secure peace through strength, and our strength comes from our allies.”