Exclusive: diplomats had to scramble to contain fallout with Beijing after Douglas Alexander’s trip to Taipei
China threatened to cancel high-level trade talks with the UK earlier this year over a government minister’s visit to Taiwan, the Guardian can disclose.
Beijing told the British government it would pull its first trade and economic dialogue with the UK in seven years after Douglas Alexander, then a trade minister, travelled to Taipei in late June.
The engagement threatened to scupper the UK-China trade and economic commission (Jetco), which ultimately did go ahead after diplomats privately scrambled to contain the diplomatic fallout with Beijing.
Peter Kyle flew to China for the meeting in early September, days after he was appointed business and trade secretary.
