Derek Marsh, the new director-general of the British Trade and Cultural Office (BTCO), cautiously responded to sensitive political questions yesterday while expressing his ambition to cement economic and cultural ties between the UK and Taiwan.
Meeting journalists from the three English-daily newspapers yesterday morning at his BTCO office, Marsh, 56, said that sinceties between London and Taipei are "unofficial" in nature as London does not recognize Taipei diplomatically, and consequently "there is no question of official visits from authorities in Taiwan to Britain."
But the British government would review visa applications from government officials on a "case-by-case" basis should applicants plan to conduct "unofficial" and "private" visits to London, Marsh said.
PHOTO: CHIANG YING-YING, TAIPEI TIMES
Minister of Foreign Affairs Eugene Chien (簡又新) secured a British visa for his private visit to London in early June to see his two children. The visa was given under the condition that Chien would not engage in any public activities while he was in London, officials said.
When asked if London would speak against Taiwan's bid to re-enter the UN in the UN steering committee meeting slated to take place in New York City in September, Marsh declined to answer what he called a "hypothetical" question.
Since 1999, Britain has spoken out at the UN steering committee meetings in opposition to Taiwan's entry into the world body.
But last year, the UK also urged both sides of the Taiwan Strait to seek a peaceful solution to cross-strait issues, while expressing its recognition of Taiwan's democratization process, according to foreign ministry records.
Marsh also declined to answer when asked whether his government would grant an export license to a British shipbuilder, which has reportedly begun lobbying Taiwan to buy its "Upholder Class" submarines.
Marsh said the British government has a "restricted policy" toward issuing arms export licensing, citing the "Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria" as the measure by which it reviews the possibility of issuing arms export licensing.
The Oxford-educated diplomat began his career as a civil servant when he joined the British defense ministry in 1969. He held various defense-related assignments such as serving as the director of warship procurement and acting at one point as the head of defense procurement policy.
Marsh then shifted to the British Department of Trade and Industry in 1980 and was seconded to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997 where he began his career as a diplomat.
Marsh served as the deputy ambassador to Seoul since 1997 and was known for his "candid" and "professional" practices in Seoul, according to a Taipei-based foreign diplomat.
Marsh said London's decision not to adopt the euro "doesn't have any impact" on dissuading foreign investors to invest in the UK.
"Seventy percent of Taiwanese investment in the EU goes to Britain," Marsh said, adding that the low rates of taxation as well as a well-trained and English-speaking workforce are strong incentives for foreign investors.
He said the UK "is fully integrated" into Europe, indicating that "a majority of euro bonds trading takes place in London" and that the country remains the No.1 insurance market in Europe.
But in a briefing issued to the new BCTO director by Invest.UK, the UK government's investment agency, British officials said the country now faces "considerable competition" from Eastern Europe and China in luring Taiwanese investment.
The Invest.UK briefing noted that the low wage rates in Eastern Europe and China could serve as a key factor in attracting investment from Taiwan.
BTCO's records show that last year, exports from the UK to Taiwan saw a decrease of about 13 percent compared with the previous year, while imports from Taiwan to the UK dropped by 43.6 percent in the same year compared with the previous year.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as
RSS