President Tsai Ing-wen met with new British Office Taipei Representative John Dennis Jan. 19 at the Presidential Office in Taipei City, with the pair expressing their commitment to fostering a closer bilateral relationship across the board.
 
Taiwan and the U.K. share the same respect for free trade, human rights and the rule of law, reflected in the fact the relationship between the two sides has gone from strength to strength in recent years, Tsai said.
 
In particular, Tsai said Taiwan and the U.K have been expanding cooperation in key sectors such as finance and wind energy. The time is right for the like-minded partners to build on this progress and begin negotiations on a free trade or bilateral investment agreement, she added.
 
According to Tsai, 2021 is a pivotal year for ties between the two sides, as the U.K. has left the European Union and is looking to establish its own independent Indo-Pacific strategy. Meanwhile Taiwan is undergoing structural economic transformation due to relocation of production lines following the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
 
In addition, the U.K. has long been a favorite destination for Taiwan students pursuing higher education, Tsai said, adding the BTO has been very supportive of her administration’s bilingual nation policy.
 
Tsai also congratulated Dennis on taking up his post, adding that despite the challenging global environment, the government will continue to work with the BTO to deepen Taiwan-U.K ties. (SFC-E)
 
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