TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Thursday (June 20) called on the United Kingdom, soon to be a formal member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), to support Taiwan's application to join, during the birthday celebration for King Charles III at the British Office Taipei.
Lin pointed out the flourishing relationship between Taiwan and the UK. In November last year, both countries signed the Enhancing Trade Partnership (ETP) agreement. They signed a Memorandum of Understanding on mutual recognition of organic agricultural products in May. These were the first agreements that Taiwan signed with European countries.
The minister acknowledged the UK's repeated emphasis on the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait in international forums. He expressed heartfelt gratitude for UK Foreign Secretary David Cameron's congratulatory message following the presidential election in Taiwan earlier this year and for the UK's support after the Hualien earthquake in April.
John Dennis, the representative of the British Office Taipei, noted significant progress in UK-Taiwan cooperation in trade, science, and technology. The Innovate UK, the Ministry of Economic Affairs, and Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute jointly invested 10 million pounds for the first time last year to initiate an innovative research and development cooperation project.
Dennis emphasized the UK's recognition of the necessity for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. He said the UK supports Taiwan's international participation and looks forward to deepening the UK-Taiwan relationship through multiple seminars co-hosted under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF).