TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former U.K. Prime Minister Liz Truss urged deeper security cooperation with Taiwan among Indo-Pacific allies on Wednesday (May 17) during her five-day visit to Taiwan.

Speaking at a foreign ministry press conference, Truss said that given the unpredictable nature of a potential Chinese attack, it is vital Taiwan is protected as much as possible "by providing it with all it needs to defend itself." “The Chinese government understands that there would be severe consequences if they tried to take Taiwan by force,” she added.

Truss mentioned that the HMS Queen Elizabeth’s world tour in 2021 was “a great demonstration of the U.K. reaching, working with our allies around the world.” The U.K. has done much to cement its presence in the Indo-Pacific, including inking the AUKUS deal and agreeing to conduct more military exercises with Japan, she said. 

“We want to be linked to the Pacific and we want to do all we can do to support our friends in the Pacific,” Truss added. However, she said that a solid defense alliance in the Pacific would require leadership from regional countries.

In terms of countering Chinese economic coercion, Truss recommended G7 and EU nations take a coordinated approach. However, there is not a proper mechanism to facilitate this plan yet, according to Truss.

Truss said that the value of the G7 and EU economies is more than 50% of the global economy, which is “a significant amount of economic power” that China is very reliant on for exports. Europe “must take action now” before China becomes a more influential player in the global economy, Truss warned.

She said that sanctions and restrictions on technology could also be imposed on China in order to prohibit Beijing from escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

She was very vocal about support for Taiwan during her time as prime minister, which she held for seven weeks. In her foreign policy speech last April, she stressed the importance of Taiwan‘s defense for the first time.