TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan and the U.K. are closely connected because of shared values, U.K. Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Alicia Kearns said on Wednesday (Nov. 30).
Speaking at a banquet hosted by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Kearns said Taiwan is not alone in the world and the U.K. parliament will uphold its commitment to supporting Taiwan, a democratic partner. The committee chair said that her delegation hopes to gain a deeper understanding of the geopolitical changes in the Indo-Pacific region by meeting with Taiwanese government officials, experts, and scholars.
Kearns also said she seeks to work with Taiwan to strengthen democratic resilience and promote bilateral cooperation in areas such as net-zero emissions, semiconductors, and strengthening democratic supply chain resilience.
Wu thanked the visiting delegation for traveling such a long distance and showing their support for a democratic Taiwan. He pointed out the Indo-Pacific region is an important area for geopolitics and the world economy.
U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and other high-level government officials have publicly emphasized that the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait is closely related to the peace and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, Wu said. This fully demonstrates that the U.K. attaches great importance to maintaining and building a safe Taiwan Strait and Indo-Pacific region.
The foreign minister stressed that recent dramatic changes in the world have highlighted the importance of like-minded partners who share the values of freedom, democracy, and human rights, and work together to resist the expansion of authoritarianism.
Kearn’s delegation consists of other members of the foreign affairs council, including Liam Byrne, Royston Smith, Stewart Malcolm McDonald, and Neil Coyle. This is the first U.K. parliament delegation to visit Taiwan since the pandemic began.
The group is scheduled to depart on Dec. 3.