TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former UK Minister of State for Security Tom Tugendhat was expected to arrive in Taiwan on Saturday, according to media reports.
News of Tugendhat’s visit coincided with his criticism of Britain’s top finance official, Rachel Reeves, for visiting China. In an essay published by The Times of London on Friday, Tugendhat described the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s visit as “a step back in time” and suggested she should focus on Taiwan instead.
Currently an opposition member of Parliament for the Conservative Party, Tugendhat has been an outspoken advocate for a tougher stance on China, according to CNA. In June 2023, he became the first sitting British government minister to meet a member of Taiwan’s Cabinet, holding face-to-face talks with then-Digital Minister Audrey Tang (唐鳳).
Tugendhat argued that the UK should align itself with nations that foster technological innovation rather than those that stifle it. Reeves, he said, was looking to the wrong place for a model of the future.