A U.K. Parliament delegation is visiting Taiwan for the first time in 16 years. The group met with President Tsai Ing-wen to discuss bilateral trade relations and regional security.
A delegation from the U.K. Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee recently arrived in Taiwan for a visit, meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen on the 2nd. It has been 16 years since the last U.K. Parliament delegation visited Taiwan. Tsai thanked her visitors for their cross-party support for Taiwan and for supporting cross-Strait peace and stability on numerous occasions. The two sides discussed bilateral trade and security in the Indo-Pacific during the visit.
Tsai Ing-wen, ROC President: “Taiwan and the U.K. have already started strategic cooperation to address issues including bilateral trade policies, supply chain cooperation and the strengthening of economic resilience. Apart from that, there are currently over 30 offshore wind energy operators that have set up offices in Taiwan.”
Alicia Kearns, Chair, UK Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee: “...Taiwan, I'm sure that we have a steadfast friend, as Taiwan has proven with its immediate assistance to our friends in Ukraine, and again in the pandemic, where others obfuscated, Taiwan stood as a clarion voice alerting the world the virus which brought darkness to all of us, and then sharing their practice to help us recover as swiftly as possible.”
Alicia Kearns said Taiwan is a steadfast friend of the U.K. and is a strong democratic regime, and bilateral relations are rooted in the three prongs of democracy, resilience and prosperity. She also called on the World Health Organization to stop its "unfair" treatment of Taiwan by not allowing Taiwan to join. Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, is currently in the U.S. Following a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden, the two issued a joint statement on the Ukraine conflict and reaffirmed the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Joe Biden, US President: “...working together to strengthen the security and prosperity across the Atlantic in each of our countries, but also Europe as a whole. ”
Emmanuel Macron, President of France: “We are together in challenging times with the war in Ukraine, launched by Russia, and so obviously it would be the first topic of discussion for both of us in --”
The latest iteration of the U.S.' National Defense Authorization Act includes the sale of US$300 billion's worth of military equipment to Taiwan which the U.S. says will help Taiwan be a "hedgehog" capable of defending itself against the escalating threat of China. A German online media outlet, meanwhile, says Germany may make major changes to its China policy to reduce its reliance on China. A new German-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, meanwhile, says it will promote stronger ties with Taiwan.
用中文的你好搏感情，英國國會下議院外交委員會訪團來台訪問，總統蔡英文今日接見，這是英國國會繼2006年後睽違16年再次組團訪台。蔡總統致詞時指出，英國國會跨黨派支持台灣，也在國際場合多次呼籲台海和平穩定，雙方這次就台英經貿關係及印太區域安全等議題交換意見。
總統蔡英文表示：「現在台英雙方的貿易政策，供應鏈合作以及強化經濟韌性等議題已經展開策略性合作，除此之外目前有超過30家英國離岸風電業者在台灣設立營運辦公室。」
英國國會下議院外交委員會主席柯恩斯表示：「台灣就是我們堅實的朋友，舉例來說，台灣迅速提供援助給烏克蘭的朋友，而在全球疫情期間，有些國家混淆是非誤導大眾，台灣則以清澈響亮的聲音率先發出警示，讓世界注意到這個衝擊全球的病毒，也分享防疫最佳做法，讓我們可以更快恢復。」
柯恩斯表示，台灣是英國堅實盟友也是強健民主政體之一，台英聚焦民主、韌性及繁榮3個關係主軸，還呼籲停止對台灣不公平待遇，讓台灣以正式會員參與世界衛生組織。此外，台海緊張情勢引起國際關注，法國總統馬克宏赴美與美國總統拜登展開雙邊會談，會後發表聯合聲明，關切俄烏戰爭，並重申維繫台海和平與穩定的重要性。
美國總統拜登表示：「我們正在共同努力加強大西洋彼岸我們每個國家乃至整個歐洲的安全與繁榮。」
法國總統馬克宏表示：「我們正處在全球充滿挑戰的時代以及俄羅斯發動的烏克蘭戰爭，因此這將是我們雙方討論的第一個話題。」
美國近期將公佈國防授權法案，內容可望提供3000億元協助台灣強化防衛能力，打造成豪豬，抵抗中國日益擴張的威脅。而針對國際討論中共2027年可能犯台，德國網媒前鋒指出，為了防止被中國勒索，德國可能大幅調整對中政策，減少對中依賴，首都柏林議會也成立友台小組，將全力推動台德雙邊的交流和合作。
