On June 30th, British Deputy Minister of Business and Trade Douglas Alexander visited President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Tsai Ing-wen. Tsai hoped that the UK could openly support Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), creating a mutually beneficial economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific region.
President Tsai Ing-wen met with UK Deputy Minister of Business and Trade Douglas Alexander on June 30th. In his address, Tsai first expressed a warm welcome to Alexander on behalf of the people of Taiwan. In recent years, Taiwan-UK relations have been growing closer. Both sides have not only enhanced cooperation in areas such as offshore wind power, innovative technology, and cultural education but have also established regular dialogue mechanisms in key areas like trade, energy, and agriculture.
Tsai pointed out that the UK is now Taiwan’s fourth largest trading partner in Europe, the second largest source of investment, and the third largest destination for investment. Two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed the Agreement on the Enhancement of Bilateral Trade Relations, the first institutionalized economic and trade framework signed between Taiwan and a European country, which is of particular significance.
He was pleased that Taiwan and the UK have signed three sub-agreements on “investment,” “digital trade,” and “energy and net zero emissions” to boost bilateral economic and trade cooperation and promote the development of each other’s industries.
On June 30th, Taiwan’s representative to the UK, Yao Chin-hsiang, and the UK’s representative to Taiwan, Catherine Nettleton, signed three agreements under the Taiwan-UK Bilateral Trade Enhancement Partnership (ETP), covering the “Taiwan-UK ETP Digital Trade Agreement,” “Taiwan-UK ETP Energy and Net Zero Emissions Agreement,” and “Taiwan-UK ETP Investment Agreement.”
Tsai thanked the British government for its long-standing support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. This month, the UK released two reports, the “Strategic Defence Review” and the “National Security Strategy,” opposing any attempts to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, demonstrating the shared goals of Taiwan and the UK, as well as the inseparable security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and transatlantic regions.
Tsai mentioned that the UK House of Commons passed a motion supporting Taiwan last November, which specifically pointed out that UN Resolution 2758 did not establish the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) over Taiwan, nor did it determine Taiwan’s status within the UN. The UK government also responded to this motion by publicly expressing its opposition to any attempt to expand the interpretation of Resolution 2758 to rewrite history. He expressed heartfelt thanks on behalf of the people of Taiwan once again.
He stated that Taiwan and the UK have highly complementary advantages in the technology industry. Faced with international economic and trade trends such as global supply chain restructuring, Taiwan and the UK are believed to be key partners to each other, and he hoped that the UK could openly support Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP, creating a mutually beneficial economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific region.
Finally, Tsai extended his best wishes for Deputy Minister Alexander’s safe and successful visit and expressed his hope for the opportunity for personal travel to Taiwan in the future.
Deputy Minister Douglas Alexander, in his address, expressed his honor to meet everyone and discuss how to further deepen UK-Taiwan trade relations and explore many opportunities that both sides can jointly promote. He had visited Taiwan in 2022 in a personal capacity and had a great experience during that trip.
He was delighted to return here this year to witness the solid and deepening bilateral relations between the UK and Taiwan. This relationship is built on mutual respect, democratic values, and a shared vision of open, resilient, and rule-based economic cooperation. As like-minded partners, cooperation between the two sides continues to expand in multiple areas, and this visit is to further drive this momentum.
Regarding trade and investment, Alexander stated that he was proud that the UK and Taiwan have signed three cooperation agreements under the “Enhancement of Trade Partnership (ETP),” covering areas such as investment, digital trade, energy, and net zero emissions. These agreements will provide a clear framework for future cooperation and lay a solid foundation for expanding market access and shaping the two countries’ mutual prosperity.
He believed that through the annual trade dialogues, this partnership would help UK businesses to seize new opportunities, improve regulatory coordination, promote long-term investments in key growth areas, and support Taiwan’s expansion of high-quality trade relationships with trusted partners.
Alexander mentioned that President Tsai’s promotion of the “five major innovative industries” aligns closely with the UK’s recently announced industry and trade strategy, covering clean energy, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing. For example, both sides plan to invest in the infrastructure and computing capabilities of artificial intelligence for future joint research opportunities.
He said that by combining their advantages in these areas, innovative cooperation and commercial success could be unlocked. He had the privilege to visit the Taiwan Space Center yesterday, where he saw that the UK’s expertise and reliable standards could provide meaningful solutions in areas such as satellite technology, green energy, and cybersecurity.
Furthermore, Alexander stated that President Tsai mentioned challenges to regional peace and security in his speech, and the UK, along with its G7 partners, continues to reiterate its commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. The strategic, long-term, and evolving relationship between the UK and Taiwan, based on mutual trust and cooperation, fills both sides with confidence in jointly promoting prosperity and resilience in their societies.
Alexander mentioned that Taiwan is seeking diversified capital and building global partnerships, believing that the UK is a strong and ambitious investment destination. Especially for Taiwanese companies leading in fields such as robotics, clean technology, and advanced industries, the UK’s stable and open market aligns with Taiwan’s vision for high technology and sustainable future. He looks forward to further discussing how to deepen cooperation in these areas and more.