The former British prime minister, Liz Truss, is due today to deliver one of the most provocative and irresponsible speeches in living memory at the Prospect Foundation think tank in Taipei, Taiwan. According to a leaked draft, she will declare she is in the island that China regards as a renegade province, “because I believe this is the most consequential place in the world – in the most consequential struggle of our time.”
“Where we are today is on the front line of the global battle for freedom. The Chinese Communist Party is engaged in an ideological struggle with the free world... This is a battle of ideas as much as it is an attempt to grab power on the global stage.”
Referring to tensions in the region that many believe America and its allies are escalating, she is expected to say: “We cannot pretend there can be meaningful deterrence without hard power. And if we are serious about preventing conflict in the South China Sea, we need to get real about military and defence co-operation.”
To further stress her point, she will also say that it is “vital that China is blocked from ever being a member” of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership, the 12 member trading bloc that the UK recently joined. China and Taiwan have both applied. Needless to say, Ms Truss enthusiastically supports Taiwanese accession, despite the diplomatic furore that would cause if it ever happened.
Her statements bear little relation to reality. There is no evidence that the Chinese Communist Party is attempting to export its model of governance anywhere. Along with many other countries, China has various border disputes; but it has not tried to “grab power” in any other country. It is in the Asia Pacific’s best interests that China works within the new regional economic architecture, not for it to be kept outside. And the status of Taiwan is not “the front line of the global battle for freedom”, but a dispute left over from the Chinese civil war, as the fact that nearly the whole world recognises some form of the “one China” formula should show.
So-called “friends” who make such statements, wrote the Singaporean public intellectual Kishore Mahbubani recently, “are putting the Taiwanese people in danger and risk inadvertently upsetting the status quo and starting a war… We Asians should unite and send any visiting European policymaker a simple message: by doing nothing [about Taiwan], we have preserved peace in Asia. Why don’t you stay home and fix Ukraine?”
Ms Truss’s intervention is also exceptionally badly timed, if reports are to be believed that voices urging caution over future unification with Taiwan are being given freer rein in China.
It is hard to find a direct parallel, but by way of comparison, imagine how inflammatory it would be if a former G7 head of government turned up in Northern Ireland and demanded the world support their secession from the UK.
Her statements bear little relation to reality
It would be asking officials in Beijing to be superhuman not to react. But it would be advisable not to over-react. For Ms Truss is no global statesman. She carries the ignominy of being Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister, lasting not even two months in office before her administration spectacularly imploded. As for her fitness for the role, the widely respected Tory grandee Ken Clarke said shortly afterwards: “I was quite surprised she got into the cabinet, but then I was utterly amazed she became prime minister.” His incredulity was shared by many.
Ms Truss does not represent the UK government, which is hawkish enough on China but still wants a robust and constructive relationship between the two countries. Her trip has even been attacked by a fellow Conservative MP, Alicia Kearns, the chair of the House of Commons' Foreign Affairs Select Committee. “It is deeply unhelpful because it escalates the normal situation in Taiwan,” she said. In reference to the then US speaker of the House who went to the island last August, Ms Kearns added: “Taiwanese people already have to live with more Chinese military manoeuvres because of Nancy Pelosi's visit.”
But Liz Truss is also no Nancy Pelosi, a formidable politician who was the first woman speaker, the first woman to head one of the two major US parties in either chamber of congress, and who was constitutionally second in line to the presidential succession for a total of eight years.
Liz Truss’s message may resonate, unfortunately, with a growing consensus in the Washington foreign policy establishment that views China as an existential threat (never mind that much of the rest of the world disagrees). “Don’t shoot the messenger,” goes the saying. But in this instance, why bother when the messenger is almost a figure of fun, well-known to many of her compatriots for the implausible vehemence with which she once denounced the consumption of foreign cheese?
She is a former head of government of the UK, a permanent member of the UN Security Council and the world’s sixth largest economy. That lends her a status that means her ill-advised speech cannot be totally ignored. But it should be remembered that she only became prime minister because her party had descended into self-destructive turmoil and she managed just 44 days in the job.
The Chinese leadership will be angered by her words. They should not forget, however, that whereas Ms Truss’s steely predecessor, Margaret Thatcher, was once depicted in a TV sketch referring to her ministers as “vegetables”, Ms Truss famously lost a fight for survival with a lettuce, whose shelf life lasted longer than her time in office.
As consequential as her former job was, Ms Truss is not. Beijing should treat her unwise remarks as a mosquito bite – and move swiftly on.
Company%C2%A0profile
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Remaining Fixtures
Wednesday: West Indies v Scotland
Thursday: UAE v Zimbabwe
Friday: Afghanistan v Ireland
Sunday: Final
Takreem Awards winners 2021
Corporate Leadership: Carl Bistany (Lebanon)
Cultural Excellence: Hoor Al Qasimi (UAE)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Bkerzay (Lebanon)
Environmental Development and Sustainability: Raya Ani (Iraq)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Women’s Programs Association (Lebanon)
Humanitarian and Civic Services: Osamah Al Thini (Libya)
Excellence in Education: World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) (Qatar)
Outstanding Arab Woman: Balghis Badri (Sudan)
Scientific and Technological Achievement: Mohamed Slim Alouini (KSA)
Young Entrepreneur: Omar Itani (Lebanon)
Lifetime Achievement: Suad Al Amiry (Palestine)
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
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Company%20profile
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The specs: 2018 Audi R8 V10 RWS
Price: base / as tested: From Dh632,225
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 540hp @ 8,250rpm
Torque: 540Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.4L / 100km
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Results
5pm: Reem Island – Conditions (PA) Dh80,000 (Turf) 1,600m; Winner: Farasah, Antonio Fresu (jockey), Musabah Al Muhairi
5.30pm: Sir Baniyas Island – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: SSR Ghazwan, Antonio Fresu, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6pm: Wathba Stallions Cup – Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Astral Del Sol, Sean Kirrane, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami
6.30pm: Al Maryah Island – Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: Toumadher, Dane O’Neill, Jaber Bittar
7pm: Yas Island – Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 (T) 2,200m; Winner: AF Mukhrej, Tadhg O’Shea, Ernst Oertel
7.30pm: Saadiyat Island – Handicap (TB) Dh80,000 (T) 2,400m; Winner: Celestial Spheres, Gary Sanchez, Ismail Mohammed
FA Cup fifth round draw
Sheffield Wednesday v Manchester City
Reading/Cardiff City v Sheffield United
Chelsea v Shrewsbury Town/Liverpool
West Bromwich Albion v Newcastle United/Oxford United
Leicester City v Coventry City/Birmingham City
Northampton Town/Derby County v Manchester United
Southampton/Tottenham Hotspur v Norwich City
Portsmouth v Arsenal
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The%C2%A0specs%20
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Duminy's Test career in numbers
Tests 46; Runs 2,103; Best 166; Average 32.85; 100s 6; 50s 8; Wickets 42; Best 4-47
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
Fixtures
Opening day Premier League fixtures for August 9-11
August 9
Liverpool v Norwich 11pm
August 10
West Ham v Man City 3.30pm
Bournemouth v Sheffield Utd 6pm
Burnley v Southampton 6pm
C Palace v Everton 6pm
Leicester v Wolves 6pm
Watford v Brighton 6pm
Tottenham v Aston Villa 8.30pm
August 11
Newcastle v Arsenal 5pm
Man United v Chelsea 7.30pm
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'Panga'
Directed by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Starring Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadha, Jassie Gill, Yagya Bhasin, Neena Gupta
Rating: 3.5/5
More on Quran memorisation:
The five pillars of Islam
Zayed Sustainability Prize
RESULT
Wolves 1 (Traore 67')
Tottenham 2 (Moura 8', Vertonghen 90 1')
Man of the Match: Adama Traore (Wolves)
RESULTS
Women:
55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2
Men:
62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke
Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic
John Zubrzycki, Hurst Publishers
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