"Britain is ready to defend Taiwan in case of conflict with China" - UK Defence Secretary

During a visit to Australia, British Defense Secretary John Healy announced that London is ready to defend Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China.
“If we have to fight, as we have in the past, Australia and the UK will fight together. We conduct joint exercises, we prepare together, which helps us to be a deterrent,” Healy told the Telegraph newspaper, answering a question about how the UK is ready to help Taiwan in the event of a conflict with China.

At the same time, the minister stressed that the UK would prefer to resolve disputes in the Indo-Pacific region “peacefully” and “through diplomatic channels.” When asked whether London was ready to establish formal relations with Taiwan, Healy said that “at the moment, the UK is not considering changing its course on Taiwan.” The UK does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country and has not established formal political relations with it.