Taipei, Dec. 31 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Wednesday that he hopes cultural, educational and economic exchanges between Taiwan and Britain will further expand in the future.
Chen made the pitch while meeting with a group of pro-Taiwan British parliamentarians.
Noting that Britain is a major European investment destination for Taiwan businessmen, Chen said the 150-plus Taiwan-financed firms in Britain have created 15,000 jobs.
In addition, Chen went on, more than 14,000 students from Taiwan are attending short-term or long-term courses in Britain, making Taiwan the second-largest source of foreign students there after the United States.
All these figures point to close substantive ties between Taiwan and Britain despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations, Chen said. "I hope our exchanges and cooperation in economic, cultural, education and other fields will continue to grow in the years to come," Chen told his guests.
Chen also expressed his gratitude to Richard Faulkner, the leader of the British parliamentary delegation who concurrently serves as vice chairman of a pro-Taiwan group in the British Parliament, for his efforts to push the British government to support Taiwan's bid to join the World Health Organization as an observer.
In recognition of Faulkner's contribution to the promotion of Taiwan-Britain relations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs conferred a diplomatic medal upon him earlier in the day.
Faulkner said he felt honored to receive the medal and assured Chen that he will make continued efforts to boost bilateral cooperation.
Faulkner's mission is mainly composed of members of the pro-Taiwan group in the British Parliament that includes Nigel Evans and Denis Murphy of the House of Commons and Anita Gale and David Lea of the House of Lords.