Taiwan and the UK could benefit by working together on low-carbon urban projects, the UK’s acting representative to Taiwan said yesterday.
“[Taiwan and the UK] have worked together on developing low-carbon cities, and we are keen to continue to work closely with Taiwan in this important area,” British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO) Acting Director Damion Potter said.
Speaking at a forum held by his office and Taipei’s Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), Potter said that the global industry for low-carbon and environmental goods and services is estimated to be worth £3.2 trillion (US$5.17 trillion) a year, a potentially valuable opportunity for the two countries’ strong working relationship.
A delegation representing UK businesses is visiting Taiwan for a second consecutive year to seek opportunities for public and private sector cooperation.
The UK is well-positioned to offer Taiwan its experience in building up sustainable infrastructure, Potter said, pointing out that the UK allocates a major part of its annual budget toward developing a green economy, with nearly 1 million Britons employed in the sector. There are also similar efforts between Taiwan and the UK in the area, as both are developing low-carbon eco-towns, he said.
While the UK has selected Manchester, Leeds and Bristol as pilots for its project, Taiwan plans to allocate a budget of about NT$30 billion (US$1 billion) to develop four pilot low-carbon jurisdictions — New Taipei City (新北市), Greater Taichung, Greater Tainan and Yilan County — by next year.
Taiwan is to receive the first batch of Lockheed Martin F-16 Block 70 jets from the US late this month, a defense official said yesterday, after a year-long delay due to a logjam in US arms deliveries. Completing the NT$247.2 billion (US$7.69 billion) arms deal for 66 jets would make Taiwan the third nation in the world to receive factory-fresh advanced fighter jets of the same make and model, following Bahrain and Slovakia, the official said on condition of anonymity. F-16 Block 70/72 are newly manufactured F-16 jets built by Lockheed Martin to the standards of the F-16V upgrade package. Republic of China
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