China's Xi: External Forces Shouldn't Interfere In Internal Affairs

Guy Elster at Walla News tweets: "In a message to Taiwan, China's President Xi Jinping said that "external forces should never be allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of countries under any pretext". He was addressing a meeting of of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Tajikistan via video link"

• The warning to Taiwan and the West comes in the wake of the announcement of the AUKUS alliance between Australia, the UK and the US, which stands as a clear opponent of Chinese military expansionism in the Indo-Pacific region.
• More assertive action from the West comes as concerns remain high about the medium-to-long term intentions of Beijing towards Taiwan.
• Yesterday, in the British House of Commons, former PM Theresa May asked her successor Boris Johnson whether the AUKUS alliance would see the UK roped into a Taiwanese conflict if China invaded the island. Johnson replied - vaguely - that "The United Kingdom remains determined to defend international law and that is the strong advice we would give to our friends across the world, and the strong advice that we would give to the government in Beijing,"