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 Taiwan as he assumes his new position, the president expressed his hopes that the friendly relationship between Taiwan and the UK 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 Taiwan, enabling them to stay in the UK for up to six months. He commented that this marks an extremely important step forward in the development of relations between the ROC (Taiwan) and the UK. 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 Ireland, are considering following the example of the UK. The president specially offered his appreciation to the British government for the important decision it has made.
President Ma also noted that UK companies have invested about US$4.7 billion in Taiwan, which makes it the fifth largest source of foreign investment in Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwan firms have invested about US$500 million in the UK, making it the second most popular place for Taiwan investment in Europe. The president feels that room exists for a further expansion in trade between Taiwan and the UK, adding that in the wake of Taiwan’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 Taiwan. The president also noted that the UK has become one of the most popular destinations for students from Taiwan to continue their education. Presently, about 15,000 people from Taiwan are studying in the UK, second only to those studying in the United States. 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.