China Must Realize Taiwan Isn’t Hong Kong, Tony Blair Says

(Bloomberg) -- China needs to realize that Western countries don’t view the self-ruled island of Taiwan in a similar way to the semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong, former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair said. 

“It’s important that we understand what China’s position is in relation to Taiwan, how deep this ‘One China’ policy is,” Blair said in an interview on Thursday with Bloomberg Television in Singapore. “They have to understand that Taiwan is not the same as Hong Kong. And there are very strong views on this in the West.”

Blair added that the potential of a conflict between the U.S. and China over Taiwan was a “big anxiety,” and that the West needs to strengthen their own ability to deal with Beijing, while also being willing to cooperate when possible. 

His comments at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum come the same week that Chinese President Xi Jinping reasserted his country’s “red line” with regard to “separatist forces” in Taiwan in a meeting with Joe Biden. The U.S. president subsequently -- albeit, briefly -- caused some confusion by describing Taiwan as “independent” in comments to reporters, before walking back his comments.

Blair praised the Xi-Biden meeting, and said America’s position on China was clearly changing.

“The Americans are actually coming to the right type of policy posture towards China,” he said. “None of that means that there is not going to still be some pretty fierce action on both sides, and there are all sorts of risks and dangers with this relationship. But it remains the key to 21st Century stability.”

‘Whatever Is Necessary’

Part of the problem with dealing with Beijing, Blair added, was that “no one quite knows what China really wants to achieve,” and whether they are only seeking to develop their own nation or to achieve “supremacy” over the west.

He said it’s clear that in the last few years, China has adopted a newly assertive posture, both domestically and on the world stage, and that this means the West needs to become stronger in relation to Beijing -- while also being willing to work with China when possible.

“We have to be strong enough to do whatever is necessary,” Blair said. “But we need to engage. We need to engage, to understand, to be able to work with China, and to ensure that the relationship isn’t subject to mistakes that are accidental,” and could prompt confrontation.

The New Economy Forum is being organized by Bloomberg Media Group, a division of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News.

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