TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — UK Representative to Taiwan John Dennis, who will step down next month, reflected on the bilateral milestones achieved during his term on Thursday.
Dennis said the British Office in Taipei began co-hosting workshops under the Global Cooperation Training Framework in 2021 and took part in events on climate change, disaster management, and cyber and telecom security.
More Taiwanese civil society organizations visited the UK last year to share their experiences in disinformation and foreign interference, he said. Meanwhile, UK companies — including Eutelsat OneWeb — provided satellite technology to Taiwan.
Dennis said bilateral trade grew from £7.3 billion (NT$295 billion) in 2020 to £8.3 billion in 2023, marking a 13.7% increase. The UK is now Taiwan’s third largest trading partner in Europe, while Taiwan is the UK’s fifth largest trade partner in the Asia-Pacific.
More than 100 British businesses have helped Taiwan develop offshore wind capability over the last four years, the representative said. He expected more joint ventures to continue as Taiwan seeks to develop clean energy technologies.
The two countries have held many science and technology policy exchanges, including on carbon pricing and the UK’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. Cooperation in key areas, such as semiconductors and net zero technology is growing, Dennis said.
He lauded the “tremendous flowering of activities” spotlighting British culture in Taiwan, including the National Gallery’s masterpieces at Tainan’s ChiMei Museum and Tate London’s exhibition in Kaohsiung.
Dennis reaffirmed that the UK’s position on Taiwan “has not changed” and that bilateral relations are based on shared values. He said the government “remains committed to the Indo-Pacific region and it continues to recognize that security and prosperity in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific are indivisible.”
The representative revealed that Ruth Bradley-Jones will take his place. Bradley-Jones previously served as the deputy Head of Mission to Myanmar.