Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu Meets UK House of Lords Deputy Speaker, Hopes for Closer Taiwan-UK Ties

Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu met with UK House of Lords Deputy Speaker Richard Faulkner, expressing gratitude for the UK Parliament's and Faulkner's long-term support for Taiwan, and hoping that the two sides will continue to interact sincerely, deepen their connection from mutual dialogue to "heart-to-heart" links, and jointly promote closer Taiwan-UK relations. Legislative Speaker Han Kuo-yu led a bipartisan delegation of legislators on a visit to France and the United Kingdom starting May 9 to promote parliamentary diplomacy. The Legislative Yuan announced today that Han and the delegation had a dinner and exchange with Richard Faulkner, the UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Taiwan and Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords, on May 15. Faulkner stated that since taking office as the UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy to Taiwan in 2016, he has attached great importance to bilateral economic and trade relations between Taiwan and the UK. He visited Taiwan in March this year and deeply felt that both sides have high complementarity in areas such as offshore wind power, space industry, manufacturing, digital technology, financial services, and green energy, and should continue to explore new business opportunities and deepen cooperation in the future. Faulkner emphasized that Taiwan is an important partner for the UK and once again sincerely welcomed Han and his delegation to London. Han, in his subsequent speech, stated that the delegation members come from different political parties, demonstrating Taiwan's diverse and united democratic politics, and expressed his pleasure in meeting Faulkner again in the pleasant weather in London. Han pointed out that although Taiwan faces diplomatic challenges, it has always faced various challenges with firm resilience. Whether it is the pandemic, regional security, or international pressure, Taiwan continues to stand firm. He thanked the UK Parliament and Faulkner for their long-term support for Taiwan, and expressed hope that the two sides will continue to interact sincerely in the future, deepening their connection from mutual dialogue to "heart-to-heart" links, and jointly promoting closer Taiwan-UK relations. The Legislative Yuan stated that Han and his delegation attended a dinner hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the "United Federation of Taiwanese Chambers of Commerce in Europe" in the evening. In his speech, Han expressed gratitude for the warm assistance and support from all sectors during his visit to Europe, which made the delegation feel very warm. He noted that in recent years, overseas Chinese communities have shown unprecedented unity and cohesion, becoming an important bridge connecting Taiwan's parliamentary exchanges with France and the UK. Han emphasized that Taiwanese businesses must unite, have only Taiwan in their hearts, and no distinction between blue, green, or white (referring to political parties). He wished all Taiwanese businesses prosperity and welcomed them to visit their "homeland" Taiwan often.