Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) on Friday last week awarded outgoing UK Representative to Taiwan John Dennis a medal in recognition of his efforts at promoting closer Taiwan-UK relations during his four-year tenure.
In a Facebook post today, Lin said he conferred the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy upon Dennis, who has headed the British Office Taipei since December 2020, for his contributions in enhancing Taiwan-UK ties.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
During Dennis' tenure, Taipei and London signed the UK-Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) Arrangement in November 2023.
In May last year, both sides also sealed a UK-Taiwan Organics Equivalence memorandum of understanding, the minister said.
As the UK is now an official member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional trade bloc that Taiwan wants to join, Lin also called on the UK to support Taipei's accession bid.
During a farewell press event on Jan. 9, Dennis himself also focused on the signing of the ETP as "a major highlight ... of my four-year posting in Taiwan."
The ETP was signed to establish a bilateral cooperation framework in three major areas: investment, energy and net-zero emissions, and digital trade, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The deal is expected to strengthen global economic security and supply chain resilience, and help maintain the free and open international trade order, the ministry said at the time.
Dennis also said during the Jan. 9 press event that his tenure in Taipei would conclude next month and he plans to retire in the spring after more than 40 years with UK foreign service.
Dennis announced that his successor is to be Ruth Bradley-Jones, who most recently served as UK deputy head of mission to Myanmar.
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