President Chen Shui-bian on October 3 met with a visiting delegation of British parliamentarians. Heading the delegation was Lord Faulkner, a member of the House of Lords, who previously led a delegation to Taiwan in 2004 to attend the ceremonies swearing in President Chen to a second term in office. Lord Faulkner also serves as the head of the All-Party Parliamentary British-Taiwan Group. President Chen expressed a warm welcome and gratitude to Lord Faulkner for the contributions he has made in promoting substantive relations between Taiwan and Britain.
The president said the All-Party Parliamentary British-Taiwan Group had only 17 members prior to May 2005, but today its memberships increases to 51 people. This displays the emphasis and importance that Parliament places on promoting friendly ties between the two countries, he said.
Mentioning trade and economic relations between the two countries, the president said that bilateral trade last year hit US$4 billion. He said he is delighted that England is Taiwan's third largest trading partner in Europe, but added that there is still significant room for further growth. In 2002, the two countries signed an agreement to avoid double taxation and to prevent tax evasion with respect to income taxes. He said that this agreement has helped to foster investment by the two countries in each other. Up to the end of last year, investment by Taiwan in England amounted to US$1 billion, which accounted for half of Taiwan's total investment in Europe. Likewise, investment by England in Taiwan has exceeded US$4 billion, and England is the fifth largest source of investment in Taiwan. President Chen said that the educational environment in England is quite strong and as a result it is the second most popular destination for Taiwan students seeking to study overseas. Presently about 15,000 Taiwan students are studying in England. The president expressed his gratitude to the British government for offering the opportunity to Taiwan students to study there, helping to cultivate highly trained and educated Taiwanese.
The president furthermore said that the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee in its Report on East Asia, passed on August 13 last year, included content that was friendly to Taiwan. The report recommended the British government advocate full membership for Taiwan in the World Health Organization (WHO). It also requested that the British government continue to urge the European Union to maintain its arms embargo on China and call for peaceful dialogue between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to settle any disputes. The president expressed his appreciation for the inclusion of this content in the report. The president also expressed his gratitude to Lord Faulkner and the chairman of the House of Commons British-Taiwan Group for supporting Taiwan's efforts to become a member in the WHO and the United Nations, and for jointly writing a letter to the British government advocating such a stance.
The guests thanked President Chen for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with them and also said that this visit to Taiwan has left a deep impression on them with regards to Taiwan's democratic development, economic prosperity and lovely scenery. They said that after returning to the UK, they will share their experiences of this trip with their colleagues and the British public, hoping to further promote friendly relations between the two countries.