Taipei – 7/11/2022 – British Secretary of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands visits Taiwan. During his two-day visit, he will co-host the 25th UK-Taiwan Trade Meeting with Deputy Economy Minister Chen Chern Chi (陳正祺).
Hands will also meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Vice Premier Shen Jong-chen (沈榮), Minister of Commerce Wang Mi-hwa (王), Minister of Digital Audrey Tang (唐鳳), Chairman of the National Development Committee , Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) and Minister without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振 中), head of Taiwan’s trade negotiations. This was announced by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
This is the first time since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic that annual trade talks between Taiwan and the United Kingdom have been held in person.
In a press release, Greg Hands writes that he visited Taiwan for the first time in 31 years in 1991. It’s great to see the growth of this vibrant, dynamic economy. He said he was delighted to be the first Secretary of State for Trade here after the pandemic and to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the trade talks.
The £8 billion business partnership has grown by 14 per cent over the past two years. In the statement, Hands said British exports to Taiwan also increased during this period. The latest government survey of business revealed that the vast majority of British companies in Taiwan are optimistic about the economy and the outlook.
During the trade talks, Innovate UK will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Taiwan’s Ministry of Economy to expand cooperation in technology and innovation. This includes the £5m (€5.7m) budget pledged through 2025 and to support UK business through the UK-Taiwan Innovation Programme.
Hands are said to reach Taiwan today.
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