TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group Chair Bob Stewart on Wednesday (March 22) called for more U.K. and global support for Taiwan at a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press conference.
“Taiwan is a crucial country for the West,” Stewart said, adding that he encourages more lawmakers and ministers from the U.S., Canada, and European nations to visit Taiwan. “The more that politicians in Europe and U.S. and Canada understand what is happening here, the better.”
Stewart is currently leading a six-member delegation in Taiwan to meet with high-level government officials and discuss Taiwan-U.K. relations, developments in the region, and economic resilience.
The parliamentarian praised Taiwan for its achievements in democratic development, pointing out that what it achieved over 30 years has been “nothing more than miraculous." Taiwan represents “huge democratic values” and is “on the frontlines of democracy and authoritarianism,” he said.
Stewart mentioned that the delegation had briefly talked about U.K. technical support in Taiwan’s submarine production endeavor. “The message we are taking back is that we should assist Taiwan in its defense as much as possible.”
The U.K. approved companies to export an unprecedented 167 million pounds (NT$6.25 million) worth of submarine-related equipment and technology during the first nine months of 2021, according to Reuters.
Stewart said he and his peers were happy to see the Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier sailing in the Indo-Pacific region but lamented that it did not traverse the Taiwan Strait.
He reiterated that the U.K. Parliament is united on Taiwan, which is to give it “as much support as we can.”
The delegation includes fellow lawmakers Rob Butler, Sarah Atherton, Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Afzal Khan, and Marie Rimmer.
The Chinese embassy in London protested the group’s trip, accusing the lawmakers of having “insisted on visiting the Taiwan region of China despite China’s resolute opposition.” This is a “gross interference in China’s internal affairs and a serious wrong signal to Taiwan independence separatist forces,” it added.
The group will depart on March 24.
