TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The British Office in Taiwan held a birthday celebration reception for King Charles III on Thursday (June 29).
The invitation was extended to partners and friends from the U.K. and Taiwan to celebrate the king’s official birthday and the expansion of bilateral relations. Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) also attended the celebration.
John Dennis, representative of the British Office in Taiwan, noted that in addition to celebrating the king’s birthday, the 30th anniversary of the British Office in Taiwan would also be marked later this year. He said King Charles has long been involved in issues central to the future of humanity and the planet, including climate change and sustainable development.
The king’s interests also cover issues at the heart of the U.K. government's relationship with its international partners and allies. Dennis said the U.K. seeks to shape an international order that maintains openness, stability, security, and prosperity and seeks to act as a force for good in the world, reviving shared democratic principles, shifting the global balance of power, and standing up to authoritarian states.
Dennis added the extensive engagement between the U.K. and Taiwan reflects this and examples include:
- Taiwan and the U.K. share a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions
- The U.K. supports Taiwan's much-admired offshore wind development
- Both Taiwan and the UK are also working hard to expand trade and investment
- Total bilateral trade between Taiwan and the UK reached over US$10 billion (NT$327.4 billion) in 2021, an increase of 18% over the previous year.
- Cooperation between Taiwan and Britain in the field of science and technology is close, with Minister of Digital Development Audrey Tang (唐鳳) attending London Science and Technology Week
Dennis said the U.K. and Taiwan have similar views on social responsibility with both understanding that healthy people are the building blocks on which other wider values cannot flourish. He added the U.K. and others are working hard to get Taiwan back into the World Health Assembly.
Dennis also stressed the importance of free, open, and rules-based trade, reflecting the fact that both the U.K. and Taiwan are members of the World Trade Organization.
The U.K. also offers unique support in Taiwan's pursuit of its 2030 bilingual policy. Furthermore, in 2020, more than 4,200 Taiwanese students studied in the U.K., including a small but vital number of recipients of the U.K. Government Scholarship Scheme. The U.K. Government Scholarship Scheme will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year.
More British students are coming to Taiwan to study and work, leaving behind life-changing experiences. Some of them participated in the new Turing Project. Launched in 2021, the scheme is named after Turing, one of Britain's most famous "science" pioneers. In addition, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs also generously provided 100 scholarships for British students to study Chinese in Taiwan.
Through two-way exchanges, young people from Taiwan and the U.K. are able to learn from each other. For many, shared experiences will last a lifetime.
Dennis also spoke about art and culture exchanges, such as the National Portrait Gallery's "Faces of the Times" world tour exhibition held at Chimei Museum. Dennis said Taiwan and the U.K. also work closely together to defend human rights, including those of the LGBTQI+ community.
Dennis concluded by saying that the king’s birthday provided an opportunity to celebrate the essence of the Taiwan-U.K. relationship. “That is, two old friends who trust each other, working together to find a way in an increasingly challenging world and helping other friends to do the same,” he said.
