Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) yesterday met with British House of Lords Deputy Speaker Richard Faulkner and several members of the UK parliament for a luncheon, as part of a cross-party delegation of lawmakers visiting the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic.
Chiang thanked UK parliamentarians for their longstanding support of Taiwan and spoke on bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Continued exchanges and mutual support between the two legislatures is key to upholding democratic values and ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, he said.
Photo courtesy of Johnny Chiang’s office
For Taiwan, effective deterrence requires not only military strength, but economic, diplomatic and social resilience, he said.
Only by strengthening both military and civilian capabilities can Taiwan effectively safeguard peace in the Taiwan Strait and the wider region, he added.
The delegation, which departed on Saturday, also includes Yang Chiung-ying (楊瓊瓔) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Chen Hsiu-pao (陳秀寶) of the Democratic Progressive Party and Lin Yi-chun (林憶君) of the Taiwan People’s Party.
Taiwan and the UK established an Enhanced Trade Partnership in 2023, and in June, they signed a “three pillar” agreement to enhance bilateral exchanges and cooperation in investment, digital trade, energy and net-zero, Chiang said.
The two sides have enormous potential in trade and economic cooperation, and can further deepen collaboration in the technology, digital and energy sectors, he added.
The UK’s House of Commons and House of Lords have consistently shown support for Taiwan by urging the government to review its China policy and supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, he said.
While in the UK, Chiang is also holding discussions with prominent think tank experts and inspected the newly completed Taipei Representative Office in London.
The delegation is also scheduled to meet with John McGuinness, deputy speaker of the Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish parliament; Czech Senate First Vice President Jiri Drahos; and Czech Chamber of Deputies Deputy Speaker Jan Bartosek.
The lawmakers would next take the Eurostar to Rotterdam in the Netherlands before visiting the Hague to continue further diplomatic meetings with European parliaments and partake in city-to-city exchanges.
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