President Tsai meets Representative Catherine Nettleton of British Office Taipei
On the morning of January 24, President Tsai Ing-wen met with a delegation led by Catherine Nettleton, the new representative of the British Office Taipei. During the meeting, President Tsai expressed hope for continued enhancement of cooperative economic and trade relations between Taiwan and the United Kingdom, and stressed Taiwan's determination to participate in the international community.
In remarks, President Tsai noted that Representative Nettleton is a seasoned diplomat who studied Chinese in Taiwan 30 years ago and is no stranger to Taiwan. The president expressed confidence that Ms. Nettleton is very well qualified for her new post, and said she strongly hoped that her visitor will enjoy living in Taiwan.
President Tsai stated that Taiwan attaches considerable importance to relations with the UK, and has been happy to see bilateral exchanges continue to develop recently. In September 2016, President Tsai spoke at length on Taiwan-UK economic and trade ties with Greg Hands, UK Minister of State for Trade and Investment, and Lord Faulkner, Trade Envoy with responsibility for Taiwan. At that time, the president mentioned that Taiwan is currently integrating its resources in order to direct them toward the so-called "5 plus 2" industrial development projects—the Internet of Things, biotech and pharmaceutical industry, green energy, smart machinery, national defense, new agriculture, and the circular economy. These projects have now been launched, and the president expressed confidence that there will be many opportunities for cooperation between Taiwan and the UK on "5 plus 2" projects.
President Tsai took the opportunity to express Taiwan's determination to participate in the international community. Countries throughout the world should work together, she said, to deal with economic, security, and humanitarian issues. The president stressed that Taiwan has never forgotten the duties that it ought to fulfill toward the international community, and is willing to share its experience in the development of democracy, science, human rights, and the economy. Hopefully, she added, Taiwan and the UK can build upon the existing foundation by continuing to enhance cooperative relations, facing challenges, and making more meaningful contributions to global society.
Also included in the delegation were Damion Potter, Deputy Representative of the British Office Taipei, and David Snower, head of the British Office Political Section.