Seeing former British prime minister Liz Truss visit Taiwan, pro-China politicians unfamiliar with British politics have lashed out by calling her a “washed-up political figure” who is seeking to make political capital out of the visit. With British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak backtracking on a pledge to shut down 30 Chinese state-sponsored Confucius Institutes across the UK, these politicians capitalized on the opportunity to disparage the significance of her visit to Taiwan.
However, anyone familiar with British politics would know that Truss is anything but a “washed up second-rate” politician. Chinese officials should not be so quick to write her off, as there remains the possibility that she could return as foreign secretary or assume another prominent government office.
