President Chen said that the last time that Mr. Cook visited Taiwan was in November 2002. He said he was delighted to have the opportunity to meet with him again today. The present delegation visiting Taiwan is comprised of members of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, and includes members of the Labor Party, the Conservative Party, and the Ulster Unionist Party. The composition of the delegation indicates that Parliament's interest in and support for Taiwan transcends party boundaries. President Chen also asked the members of the delegation to pass along his regards to all members of the Parliamentary British-Taiwan Group back home and thank them for their long-term efforts and contributions in promoting friendly and substantive relations between the two countries.
President Chen also expressed his appreciation for the friendly language regarding Taiwan in the East Asia Report approved on August 13th, 2006 by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Commons. He said that the report expressed the House's hope that the British government would support Taiwan to obtain a full membership in the World Health Organization. It also urged an increase in governmental contacts between the two nations. Both of these statements were new in comparison with previous reports.
President Chen also said that the United Kingdom is Taiwan's third largest trading partner in Europe, while Taiwan is the United Kingdom's ninth largest export market in the Asia-Pacific. He noted that presently there are over 14,000 Taiwan students studying in the United Kingdom, whether it be in short-term programs or formal schools and universities. The president added that a large number of people from each country travel to the other for tourism. President Chen expressed his hope of continuing to bolster substantive, friendly and cooperative relations between the two nations based on the existing foundation.