UK Foreign Office summons Chinese envoy

London: The UK Foreign Office has summoned China's ambassador to Britain over Beijing's "aggressive and wide-ranging escalation" against Taiwan in recent days. Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said she had ordered officials to call in ambassador Zheng Zeguang to explain his country's actions after Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi's visit to the self-governing island last week, reports dpa news agency.

China responded to the visit, which it saw as a provocation by the US, with a series of missile launches and incursions into Taiwanese waters and air space by its military.

In a statement on Wednesday, Truss said : "The UK and partners have condemned in the strongest terms China's escalation in the region around Taiwan, as seen through our recent G7 statement. "I instructed officials to summon the Chinese ambassador to explain his country's actions.

"We have seen increasingly aggressive behaviour and rhetoric from Beijing in recent months, which threaten peace and stability in the region.

"The UK urges China to resolve any differences by peaceful means, without the threat or use of force or coercion."

Taiwan has been self-governing since nationalist forces fled there in 1949 after the communists took control of China, and is considered to be a rebel province by Beijing.

China's military exercises, which began on August 4, have caused extensive disruption to flights and shipping in one of the busiest regions for world trade.

Also read: NATO is closer, more united than ever before: Joe Biden

Also watch: