The Chinese Ambassador to the UK has warned Sir Keir Starmer must back China’s ownership of Taiwan or risk a breakdown in diplomatic relations.

Zheng Zeguang said the future of relations between Westminster and Beijing relied on the UK Government accepting that “Taiwan has never been a country” and that “both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to…China.”

It comes as Britain once again delayed a decision on whether to approve the plans for a Chinese “super-embassy” in London, days after ministers faced pressure over the collapse of a trial of two men accused of spying for Beijing.

Now, Mr Zheng claimed Britain made an “unequivocal commitment” to defend China’s ownership of Taiwan when diplomatic relations were established with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1972.

Writing in The Telegraph, Mr Zheng said China was ready to do “whatever it takes” to regain control of the island.

China and democratically-governed Taiwan, which Beijing views as its own territory, have repeatedly clashed this year over their differing interpretations of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

Taiwan was a Japanese colony from 1895 until 1945, when it was handed over to the Republic of China government, which in 1949 fled to the island after losing a civil war with Chairman Mao Zedong’s communists.

Taiwan’s formal name is still the Republic of China and their government rejects Beijing’s territorial claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.

Mr Zhen cited two sections from the communique in which Britain “acknowledges the position of the Chinese government that Taiwan is a province” of the PRC.

He added the communique “recognises” the Chinese Communist Party as the “sole legal government in China.”

He wrote: “It was only after the UK made this unequivocal commitment that formal diplomatic relations were established between China and the UK. This history must not be forgotten.”

The Chinese ambassador stressed that while Beijing was hoping for a “peaceful reunification”, he warned that China was ready to do “whatever it takes” to regain control of the island.

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Former Security Minister and Tory MP Tom Tugendhat told The Telegraph: “Since 1972, the UK has acknowledged the PRC’s strong views on Taiwan.

“It is a historical fact that we have never recognised or supported these claims, including absolute sovereignty to the island.

“Beijing’s attempts to distort international law, including claims that UNGA Resolution 2758 confers dominion over Taiwan, should be resisted. These are rightly matters for the Taiwanese people to determine. Using economic coercion to force others to submit does not make it legal.

“More broadly, the strategic importance of Taiwan is tragically underappreciated. They’re a democracy, and an important partner in many fields, not least the production of one of the most valuable commodities on earth.”

A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: “The UK’s long-standing position on Taiwan has not changed.

“We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through dialogue, and not through any unilateral attempts to change the status quo.”

In China, the fourth-highest-ranked leader in Beijing said on Saturday that China and Taiwan should work to achieve “peaceful reunification.”

Wang Huning, a Communist Party Politburo standing committee member in charge of dealing with Taiwan, said at an event in Beijing to mark the 80th anniversary of the island’s “restoration” to Chinese rule that China however would not tolerate any activities promoting Taiwanese independence.

All eyes will be on Donald Trump as the US President will host a face-to-face meeting with President Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea.

Washington and Beijing have hiked tariffs on each other’s exports and threatened to halt trade in critical minerals and technologies.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump-Xi talk would be a “pull-aside,” suggesting nothing formal. President Trump later told reporters the two would have “a pretty long meeting,” allowing them to “work out a lot of our questions and our doubts and our tremendous assets together.”

Beijing has not confirmed a meeting is planned between the two leaders.