When President Tsai Ing-wen received the delegation from the British Council of Taiwan in the afternoon, she said that in recent years, the British Parliament has become more and more supportive of Taiwan, and she looks forward to deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in various fields.

(The picture is taken from the Presidential Palace YouTube)

[Reporter Chen Yun/Taipei Report] The Chairman of the Taiwan-British Council Committee Stewart was invited to lead a delegation to visit Taiwan yesterday. The delegation included six members of the British House of Commons. It is getting bigger and bigger, and we look forward to deepening exchanges and cooperation between the two sides in maintaining regional peace and developing in various fields.

Stewart also praised that Taiwan is a beacon of democracy and a model for the world, and the values ​​Taiwan and the United Kingdom believe in are similar.

Tsai Ing-wen said that this is the first time a congressional group has visited Taiwan during this session. I believe it will bring closer exchanges between Taiwan and the UK. In recent years, the British Parliament has become more and more supportive of Taiwan. The House of Representatives held a debate on Taiwan-UK friendship and cooperation under the initiative of Stewart. In November last year, the Foreign Affairs Committee of the British Parliament also visited Taiwan to show the importance it attaches to Taiwan. I thank Stewart for his friendship with Taiwan. Support, let us be grateful.

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Tsai Ing-wen expressed her gratitude to the United Kingdom for reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait through G7 and other multilateral and bilateral platforms many times since 2021. More exchanges and cooperation, the United Kingdom is Taiwan's key partner in promoting the offshore wind power industry, and more than 30 British companies have set up operating offices in Taiwan.

Tsai Ing-wen said that in addition to offshore wind power, Taiwan and the UK can also complement each other in areas such as supply chain resilience, network security, and medical and biotechnology industries to create a win-win situation. I wish the UK a smooth entry into CPTPP and hope that the UK will uphold the spirit of high standards Support Taiwan's application for membership, so that Taiwan and Britain can continue to deepen their partnership.

Stewart said that half of the members of the visiting delegation are from the Conservative Party and half from the Labor Party. The common point is that everyone is a staunch friend of Taiwan. Taiwan and the United Kingdom have more in common. The United Kingdom is an island outside the European continent. Taiwan is also an island outside the continent of Asia. Although Taiwan's population is about half that of the United Kingdom, our attitudes and values ​​we believe in are similar.

Stewart pointed out that Taiwan is more democratic than the United Kingdom. In the Democracy Index released today by The Economist, the United Kingdom ranks 18th and Taiwan 10th. The changes in the past few years may not be enough. Taiwan is a beacon of democracy and a model for the world.

Stewart said that Taiwan and Britain also have very deep economic and trade ties. Many Taiwanese people live and work in the UK, and many Taiwanese students go to the UK to study at universities. I hope to see more and more British students come to Taiwan in the future.

In the end, he reiterated that he would like to thank President Tsai for taking the time to meet him. When he visited in 2016, President Tsai was rushing to investigate disasters for the people due to the typhoon. It is really an honor to be here this time.