How war in Taiwan could mean the wheels come off the UK economy

Chinese president Xi Jinping greeting a British business delegation in 2018. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images

As the world struggles with the economic fallout from the Ukraine war, fears are mounting about a conflict that would be even more consequential: a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Last week, Taiwan’s foreign minister said he was preparing for the possibility of a conflict with China in 2027, and a leaked memo from a four-star US general said his “gut” told him the US – which is committed to defending Taiwan – would be at war with China in 2025.