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.
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