Taiwan is one of the UK’s largest trading partners and partners with the country on technology supply chains.
The Asian island is responsible for the production of more than half of the world’s semiconductors – electrical chips that play a crucial role in numerous products, including Apple smartphones and high-performance computers, including for the defense industry.
If China were to block the country, this supply of semiconductors could be seriously disrupted
The UK also relies heavily on China, which worries Whitehall. Last year Britain imported a total of £63.6 billion worth of goods from China.