UK envoy to Taiwan lists climate change, trade as key areas of bilateral cooperation
TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The British Office Taipei (BOT) on Thursday (April 22) emphasized during a luncheon meeting with local media that Taiwan-U.K. cooperation will focus on climate change and trade in the coming years.
British representative John Dennis pointed out that U.K.-Taiwan bilateral trade has grown continuously in recent years, reaching £7.1 billion (US$9.84 billion) in value — a nearly 30-percent increase since 2017.
The U.K. is the most popular country in Europe for Taiwan investment, with more than £64 million worth of investments in 2019, according to Dennis. Meanwhile, the U.K. is the top investor among European nations in Taiwan, with investment in the East Asian nation reaching £450 million in 2020, he said.
In his speech, the envoy pointed out that Taiwan is the largest offshore wind (OSW) market for the U.K. in Asia, with 28 OSW supply chain companies now established in the country and many serving as a hub in the Asia Pacific region. “U.K. Export Finance has now provided credit guarantees of £500 million to finance three offshore wind projects since 2019,” he added.
Dennis also said that he looks forward to the upcoming annual trade talks in October to further bolster bilateral trade.