Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in Taipei yesterday , marking his first visit to Taiwan, to attend the Ketagalan Forum on Indo-Pacific security issues and would meet with president Lai Ching-te(賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen(蔡英文) and senior security officials, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MOFA).
The annual forum, hosted by MOFA and the Prospect Foundation, is set to open today. Johnson is scheduled to deliver a keynote speech as a special guest, alongside former Canadian Defense Minister Jason Kenney.
Johnson’s visit to Taipei is a part of his broader trip to Asia that also includes a stop in China.
Photo courtesy of MOFA
During his term as Prime Minister (2019-2022), Johnson promoted stronger U.K.-China trade ties, pushing to revive the U.K.-China Economic and Financial Dialogue (EFD) and Joint Economic and Trade Commission (JETCO). Both initiatives stalled due to Beijing’s crackdown on democracy in Hong Kong.
Johnson’s family has deep-rooted political and business ties with China. Notably, during his time as Foreign Secretary in 2018, China purchased land near London’s financial district for a proposed new embassy -- a project now under review by the British government due to national security concerns.
As prime minister, Johnson’s administration introduced the 2021 Integrated Review, which outlined a strategic “tilt” toward the Indo-Pacific. The 2023 update explicitly mentioned Taiwan for the first time and reaffirmed the region as a long-term U.K. foreign policy priority.
In 2021, under Johnson’s leadership, the U.K. deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the Indo-Pacific, including a warship that sailed through the Taiwan Strait.
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