Braddon Liberal MP Gavin Pearce visits Taiwan with parliamentary delegation, angering China

A Tasmanian MP has touched down in Taiwan with a group of parliamentary colleagues – and the trip has prompted an angry response from China.

Braddon Liberal MHR Gavin Pearce has touched down in Taiwan with a group of parliamentary colleagues, prompting an angry response from China.

Mr Pearce, an army veteran based in Burnie, is among a delegation of six MPs that have travelled to the country, which Beijing views as a breakaway province.

The other politicians to have made the trip are Nationals MP and former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, Liberal National Party MPs Scott Buchholz and Terry Young, and Labor MPs Meryl Swanson and Libby Coker.

It’s the first time since 2019 that a group of sitting Australian parliamentarians has visited Taiwan.

Braddon Liberal MP Gavin Pearce. PICTURE: CHRIS KIDD

A spokeswoman for Mr Pearce confirmed he had arrived in the country.

“Overseas delegations of this nature are a normal part of parliamentary work, and visits to Taiwan are not unusual,” she said.

A visit to Taiwan in August by US Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, sparked furious condemnation from Beijing and even resulted in the superpower conducting live fire military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who recently met with Chinese president Xi Jinping after years of tension between Canberra and Beijing, has been quick to point out that the trip is not an official government visit.

“There remains a bipartisan position when it comes to China and when it comes to support for the status quo on Taiwan,” he said on Saturday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Picture: The Advertiser/ Morgan Sette

But Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece, The Global Times, criticised Mr Albanese’s comments in an opinion piece published on Sunday, describing the Taiwan visit as “reckless”.

“Considering Albanese’s vague and cop-out remarks which will undoubtedly encourage the arrogance of anti-China forces and pro-Taiwan secessionist forces in Australia, there is a big question mark hanging over Australia’s sincerity on improving its relations with China,” the article read.

The Global Times went on to say: “The trip exposes that within the Australian government there are anti-China forces trying to obstruct the improvement of Beijing-Canberra ties at a time when ties are moving toward détente.”

Mr Joyce told Sky News that the intention of the visit was not to “antagonise” China.

“We want to make sure that we are both close to mainland China and also close to Taiwan,” he said.

Originally published as Braddon Liberal MP Gavin Pearce visits Taiwan with parliamentary delegation, angering China