Brief introduction
Taipei Representative Office in the UK-Edinburgh Office was established in April 1998. The office represents the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the interest of Taiwanese nationals in Scotland, the North England (above Durham and Cumbria) and the Isle of Man. It is dedicated to developing comprehensive and in-depth relations and partnerships between Taiwan and above-mentioned regions. It also provides consular services, including passport, visa, and document authentication, among others.
Both the UK government and the Scottish government have representation in Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan, respectively known as the Scottish Development International (SDI) in Taipei and the British Office in Taipei (BOT).
A Cross-Party Group on Taiwan in the Scottish Parliament was established in January 2010. It serves as a platform that aims to facilitate political, cultural, educational and economic links between Taiwan and Scotland.
Bilateral relations and highlights
In March 2009, the UK extended visa-waiver privileges to Taiwan passport holders. In January 2012, the Taiwan-UK Youth Mobility Scheme (also known as the working holiday visa program) was launched. Both agreements have greatly facilitated mutual visits.
Taiwanese performing arts, music, dance and theatre groups visit Edinburgh every year and participate in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Art workers and performers from different fields of Taiwan also take part actively in the Edinburgh International Festival, Jazz and Blue Festival, Film Festival and Military Tattoo.
The Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) of Taiwan and the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) established a partnership in 2001 and ever since have been working closely on joint scientific research. Workshops, conferences and mutual exchange visits for selective research programs have also been held regularly.
The University of Edinburgh is a point of contact of Taiwan Academy and the two sides work closely to promote Taiwanese contemporary art in Edinburgh and Scotland.
Trade and investment
According to the Scottish Development International, Taiwan and Scotland have trade and investment relations in a variety of industries, including chemicals, electronics and digital, health technology, food and drink, life sciences and biotechnology, renewable energy and textiles.
According to the Scottish Whiskey Association, in recent years Taiwan constantly ranks top 5 export market worldwide for Scotch Whisky.
