Taiwan is one of the UK’s largest trading partners, which collaborates with the country on technology supply chains.
The Asian island is responsible for producing over half the world’s semiconductors – electrical chips that play a crucial role in lots of items including Apple smartphones and high-performance computers, including for the defense industry.
Were China to blockade the country, this supply of semiconductors could become severely disrupted
The UK also depends heavily on China, which is a concern for Whitehall. Last year, Britain imported a total of £63.6 billion worth of goods from China.