TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Former President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) upcoming visit to the UK on Thursday shows potential for a strengthened bilateral relationship. 

The UK has deepened unofficial relations with Taiwan in politics and security, Nikkei Asia reported. London has supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations, sold Taipei submarine-related tech, and expanded its diplomatic reach, the report said. 

The UK’s Labour government has sought to improve relations with China, restarting economic dialogues. However, its policies toward Taiwan are mainly kept separate from China, the report quoted Michael Reilly, a UK diplomat and former envoy to Taipei, as saying.  

The report noted that the UK has helped Taiwan’s defense through technology exports. Citing US-Taiwan Business Council Rupert J. Hammond, the report said the UK’s BAE Systems technology has contributed to the jet trainer program of Taiwan’s Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation. Hammond also said that UK technology has supported Taiwan's indigenous submarine program.

The UK reportedly has a history of granting licenses for exports of controlled goods to Taiwan. While there is greater potential for industrial cooperation, it is uncertain whether new military technology exports would get government approval, the report suggested. 

In addition, the UK was the first European country to enter an Enhanced Trade Partnership with Taiwan. Signed in November 2023, the deal marked a significant step in their bilateral trade and investment relationship. 

The report also mentioned satellites and renewable energy as areas of cooperation. For example, Chunghwa Telecom signed an agreement with Eutelsat OneWeb to launch low Earth orbit satellite services to boost network resilience across Taiwan. The UK has also invested in wind farm projects in Taiwan, securing service contracts for British suppliers.