TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in Taiwan Monday (Aug. 4) for his inaugural visit, marking a significant diplomatic engagement between Britain and the island democracy. Johnson will meet President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), call on former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), and attend a banquet hosted by Taiwan's top security body, the National Security Council (國安會) Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮). The high-profile visit represents a notable diplomatic milestone for Taiwan's international engagement efforts.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (外交部) invited Johnson to participate in the 'Ketagalan Forum: 2025 Indo-Pacific Security Dialogue' (凱達格蘭論壇：2025印太安全對話), taking place from Monday (Aug. 4) to Tuesday (Aug. 5). Johnson, who will deliver a keynote speech at the prestigious security conference, received a warm welcome from Deputy Foreign Minister Wu Chih-chung (吳志中). Wu shared a photo of their meeting on Facebook, highlighting the diplomatic significance of Johnson's participation.
The forum agenda reveals that former Canadian Defense Minister Jason Kenney will also join as a distinguished speaker at the security dialogue. Johnson, a Conservative Party member who previously served as London mayor, foreign secretary, and prime minister, considers Taiwan one of his key international stops during this regional tour. Johnson identified as a Sinophile during his 2019 to 2022 tenure and advocated for stronger economic ties with China, even reinstating the UK-China Joint Trade and Economic Commission (JETCO) meetings. ◼