UK summons Chinese ambassador over 'aggressive' escalation on Taiwan

British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss on Wednesday summoned China's ambassador to Britain, Zheng Zeguang, to explain Beijing's actions towards Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit.

A furious China has extended its largest-ever exercises around the self-ruled island it claims as its own following Pelosi's visit - the highest-level trip to the island by an American official in decades, reports Reuters.

"I instructed officials to summon the Chinese Ambassador to explain his country's actions. We have seen increasingly aggressive behaviour and rhetoric from Beijing in recent months, which threaten peace and stability in the region," Truss said in a statement.

"The United Kingdom urges China to resolve any differences by peaceful means, without the threat or use of force or coercion."