Truss’s Taiwan visit attacked as ‘Instagram diplomacy’

LIZ TRUSS’S planned trip to Taiwan next week has triggered a Conservative party row, as a senior Tory accused the former prime minister of attempting to stay relevant by engaging in “the worst kind of Instagram diplomacy”.

Alicia Kearns, the chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee, claimed Ms Truss’s visit to the island was merely “performative, not substantive”.

Ms Truss’s team hit back by pointing out that she was invited by the Taiwanese government, who would be “better placed” to know what was in the interests of their people than the MP for Rutland and Melton.

They accused Ms Kearns of “petty political attacks” and called on her to apologise for her remarks. But it is understood the committee chairman has no plans to retract her claims.

Ms Truss is to travel to Taiwan next week to express solidarity with its people as she promotes a robust approach to China. She will deliver a speech and is expected to meet senior members of the Taiwanese government in a visit likely to provoke a backlash from Beijing, which has repeatedly warned the West to cut ties with the island China claims as its own. Chinese state media, meanwhile, has belittled Ms Truss as a “washed-up political figure”.

Ms Kearns said Ms Truss’s trip would be “deeply unhelpful” as it risked escalating the situation in Taiwan. In remarks quoted by The Guardian, she said: “The trip is performative, not substantive. It is the worst kind of example of Instagram diplomacy. It is deeply unhelpful because it escalates the normal situation in Taiwan.

“Liz Truss doesn’t have any influence any more – this is more about keeping herself relevant.”

Ms Truss’s team called on Ms Kearns to apologise for “misusing her position” as a select committee chairman to intervene on the issue.

Her spokesman said: “The future of Taiwan as a free democracy is at stake. Alicia Kearns should apologise for misusing her position as a select committee chair to engage in petty political attacks.”