TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A seven-member delegation of U.K. Labour Party lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Saturday (March 30) to strengthen bilateral exchanges.

The group, led by Lord Leong, co-chair of the party’s newly established Friends of Taiwan group, will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), and Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu (韓國瑜) over six days, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA). The lawmakers will also visit the Ministry of Economic Affairs, National Development Council, National Science and Technology Commission, Ministry of Education, and Mainland Affairs Council.

The visit comes after U.K. Foreign Minister David Cameron warned last week that a Chinese blockade of Taiwan would be devastating for the world economy. “There's no doubt that were there to be something like a blockade, it would have an absolute calamitous effect not just on Taiwan but on the global economy,” Cameron said. 

The U.K. opposes any unilateral actions that would alter the situation in the Taiwan Strait, he added.

The group will exchange views on political and economic developments in the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan-U.K. economic and trade relations, and cooperation in scientific research and innovation.

MOFA said Leong has been concerned about the Indo-Pacific region. He has urged various sectors in the U.K. to pay attention to Taiwan and is committed to deepening bilateral exchanges, making him a friend of Taiwan in the U.K., MOFA said.

Other delegation members include Lord Grantchester, Sharon Hodgson, Diana Johnson, Lord McNicol, Navendu Mishra, and Andrew Western.

Taiwan and the U.K. are partners who share democratic and liberal values, the foreign ministry said. The two countries have frequent exchanges in economics, trade, industry, education, and culture. 

The delegation will get to see Taiwan's vibrant democratic society firsthand, MOFA said. Their visit will deepen the friendship and cooperation between Taiwan and the U.K.