TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) office announced on Monday that her current European trip, which previously only included Lithuania and Denmark, will now include a stop in the UK on Thursday.

According to Tsai’s office, her UK stop will be for just a few days, allowing her to meet British politicians and visit academic research institutions.

It will be her first visit to the UK since finishing two terms as president. Tsai’s trip may be a “make-up” visit for an October trip, which was scuttled at the last minute as UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy scheduled a goodwill visit to China, per CNA.

Her visit will be unofficial and largely symbolic, though it comes at a time of ever-increasing threats from China and global trade disruption due to Trump’s tariffs. Tsai’s visit will likely anger Beijing, which continues to pressure international partners to isolate Taiwan.

Tsai is no stranger to the UK, as she obtained a doctorate in law from the London School of Economics. Her itinerary is expected to include talks at academic institutions and a visit to the Houses of Parliament, according to Nikkei Asia.

As president, Tsai shored up relations between the two countries by signing a bilateral trade deal in 2023, the first European nation to sign such a deal with Taiwan, allowing for technological assistance in shifting key supply chains away from China.  

Tsai is well qualified to represent Taiwan, while her former vice president, Lai Ching-te (賴清德), now leads the country. Lai has continued many of Tsai’s policies, including resistance to China, and rooting out Chinese infiltration of the military and opposition parties.

The UK has also supported Taiwan’s right to join United Nations organizations such as the World Health Assembly. However, economic relations dominate Taiwan-UK ties:  Britain is Taiwan's fourth-largest trading partner within Europe and its second-biggest source of European investment.