President Tsai Ing-wen has voiced Taiwan’s willingness to increase cooperation with the UK, calling for a free trade agreement (FTA) or bilateral investment agreement (BIA) between the two countries.
The president made the remarks on 3 August while meeting with an 11-member British parliamentary delegation at the Office of the President in Taipei.
Pointing out that the UK is Taiwan’s third largest trading partner in Europe, the president stated a UK-Taiwan FTA or BIA would bring economic benefits to both countries, and called on the parliamentarians to support efforts in this regard.
President Tsai also stated that many high-level officials and politicians from Taiwan and the UK have exchanged visits over the past year, addressing issues such as industrial development and city government. These exchanges have laid a firm foundation for future Taiwan-UK cooperation, she added.
Noting that the Taiwan government is implementing its Five Plus Two Innovative Industries Initiative which includes state investment in green energy technology, the president said Taiwan hopes to promote cooperation in green energy through the annual Taiwan-UK Renewable Energy Roundtable. She told the parliamentarians that the Taiwan government will remove investment barriers for offshore wind power generation, and welcomed investment from UK firms in Taiwan’s offshore wind power projects.
