Office of the President Republic of China(Taiwan)

President Ma Ying-jeou met with the new Director of the British Trade and Cultural Office in Taiwan David Campbell on the afternoon of March 3 at the Presidential Office. In addition to welcoming Director Campbell to as he assumes his new position, the president expressed his hopes that the friendly relationship between and the in the future will become even stronger.

   
President Ma said that the British government has decided that starting from today (March 3) it will begin offering visa-free courtesies to visitors from , enabling them to stay in the for up to six months. He commented that this marks an extremely important step forward in the development of relations between the ROC () and the . In addition to paving the way for a greater amount of travel between the two countries, thereby creating a win-win situation, the measure also will influence the stance of other European Union (EU) member nations, he said. Presently, other EU states, including , are considering following the example of the . The president specially offered his appreciation to the British government for the important decision it has made.

    
President Ma also noted that companies have invested about US$4.7 billion in , which makes it the fifth largest source of foreign investment in . Meanwhile, firms have invested about US$500 million in the , making it the second most popular place for investment in . The president feels that room exists for a further expansion in trade between and the , adding that in the wake of ’s entry into the Government Procurement Agreement under the WTO, he expects bilateral trade relations to become even closer. He also expressed his hopes that British companies will increase their investment in . The president also noted that the has become one of the most popular destinations for students from to continue their education. Presently, about 15,000 people from are studying in the , second only to those studying in the . The president said this is something that people two decades ago would have found hard to imagine, and furthermore expressed his confidence regarding the far-ranging impact of educational and cultural interactions between the two countries.