President Tsai Ing-wen said Nov. 5 that robust economic and trade relations between Taiwan and the U.K. are helping connect the markets of Asia and Europe while spurring regional trade.
 
Taiwan and the U.K. enjoy close exchanges across a broad spectrum of areas, Tsai said. This is evidenced by the signing of several memorandums of understanding this year on joint collaboration in finance, high-tech development, innovation and wind power generation, she added.
 
As emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things reshape the global industrial chain, Tsai said, this mutually beneficial cooperation will create an array of exciting and potential-laden opportunities for the younger generations.
 
Tsai made the remarks while receiving a British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) delegation at the Office of the President in Taipei City. Comprising Graham Brady and Lyn Brown, both members of the House of Commons, as well as Lord Gilbert and Baroness McGregor-Smith, the group is in country Nov. 2-7 on a defense, economic, foreign affairs, political and cross-strait relations fact-finding mission.
 
According to Tsai, the delegation is the third from the British Parliament to visit Taiwan this year and illustrates the desire of lawmakers from both countries to ramp up exchanges and learn from respective legislative experiences. The government welcomes this trend and is committed to working with like-minded partners in safeguarding shared values, she said.
 
In the face of increasingly fierce global competition, the government is leaving no stone unturned in diversifying Taiwan’s trade strategy and enhancing the innovative capabilities of key industries, Tsai said. This approach will fast-track sustainable national development and is a cornerstone of the New Southbound Policy, she added.
 
The NSP is enhancing Taiwan’s agricultural, business, cultural, education, tourism and trade ties with the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states, six South Asian countries, Australia and New Zealand. It is seen as the government’s most effective policy for advancing Taiwan’s engagement with the Indo-Pacific while promoting peace, stability and prosperity.
 
Tsai also took the opportunity to thank Brady for APPG’s long-term support of efforts to expand Taiwan’s international space. She said the recent letter by group Co-chairs Lord Rogan and Nigel Evans urging Interpol to invite Taiwan to attend its general assembly this month in Dubai was sincerely appreciated by the government and people. (SFC-E)

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