TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former UK Defense Secretary Gavin Williamson argued that the West should stop fearing Beijing and move toward treating Taiwan as a sovereign partner, Nikkei Asia reported on Saturday.
Williamson, who served in top positions under multiple governments under the Conservative Party, called Taiwan a “proud, sovereign nation-state.” He urged stronger political support, arms sales, and joint weapons development to help counter Beijing’s military and gray zone threats.
“We shouldn’t ever kid ourselves that the regime in Beijing is anything other than what it is: a totalitarian, dictatorial regime,” Williamson said. “Taiwan is a democratic country that wants friendship with all, and threatens no one.”
“The danger… is to make everyone nervous about saying the right things and speaking honestly and truthfully,” he added.
Williamson’s comments went further than the official stance of the UK and most countries, which maintain unofficial relations with Taiwan. Still, London has recently strengthened its backing, including a visit by trade minister Douglas Alexander to Taipei in June and a Taiwan Strait warship transit last month.
During his term as defense secretary, Williamson oversaw Britain’s first South China Sea freedom of navigation patrol in a generation, though he was later removed after a leak scandal he denied. He said today’s security crises, from Ukraine to the Middle East, make it even more important for free nations to work together on defense.
“The truth is every free and democratic nation is going to have to invest so much more in defense than we would ever wish to,” Williamson said, pointing to lessons from Israel and Ukraine on air superiority, drones, and autonomous vehicles. He urged deeper defense partnerships across the Indo-Pacific, saying the interests of Japan, Taiwan, Australia, the Philippines, and the US are tightly linked.
Williamson also supported Taiwan raising defense spending to 3% of GDP, calling it not only positive but “absolutely vital” to show Taipei’s determination to resist aggression. He argued that countries must reindustrialize and rebuild production capacity to sustain defense manufacturing, citing Ukraine’s struggles as a cautionary tale.
On trade, he backed Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, saying the UK should publicly champion it as “sensible” support that boosts both Taiwan’s sovereignty and regional prosperity.
Williamson condemned intimidation attempts abroad, referencing a Czech intelligence report that China had planned a potential attack on Taiwan’s then–vice president-elect Hsiao in Prague last year in March. “Silence is only going to create encouragement for people to continue to believe they can act in a lawful and bad way,” he said, stressing such threats must be exposed and condemned.
Recalling pushback from within the UK when he ordered a South China Sea operation in 2018, Williamson argued that appeasement rarely works: “Bullies very rarely respond to appeasement.” Speaking to foreign correspondents in Taipei, he called on future British governments to pursue normal ties with Taiwan.
He compared Taiwan to Kosovo, suggesting the UK could help lead international recognition together with Australia. There are a lot of steps, he admitted, “But you’ve got to start the journey somewhere.”
