Taiwan's Legislative Yuan President Meets UK House of Commons Speaker in a First for Parliamentary Diplomacy

(Central News Agency, London, 17th, by reporter Chen Yun-yu) Legislative Yuan President Han Kuo-yu, who led a cross-party delegation of lawmakers on a visit to the United Kingdom from the 13th to the 16th, returned to Taiwan today. Han confirmed that during the visit, he met with Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons. This is the first-ever meeting between a President of Taiwan's Legislative Yuan and a Speaker of the UK House of Commons, setting a precedent in Taiwan-UK parliamentary diplomacy. The legislative delegation arrived at Taoyuan Airport on the afternoon of the 17th, Taipei time. In a joint media interview, Han mentioned that at the 'parliamentary speaker to parliamentary speaker' level, he has had direct meetings with the President of the French Senate and the Speaker of the British House of Commons, and these meetings 'can be publicly announced.' As for sensitive individuals who wished not to have the meetings publicized, the delegation fully respected their wishes. Before heading to the UK, the delegation had visited France for several days starting from the 10th. The President of the Legislative Yuan is equivalent to a parliamentary speaker. However, unlike Taiwan's unicameral Legislative Yuan, the UK Parliament is bicameral, divided into the House of Lords and the House of Commons. In 2018, then-Legislative Yuan President Su Jia-chyuan met with the Speaker of the UK House of Lords during a delegation visit to the UK. He also met with Hoyle at the time, but Hoyle was then the Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons. The UK House of Commons, composed of elected Members of Parliament, holds more substantial political influence than the House of Lords. It is the main arena for debates and questions, and the vast majority of cabinet ministers are also members of the House of Commons. The British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group held a welcome reception for the legislative delegation in the House of Commons on the 14th. This occurred just as the new parliamentary session began on the 13th, following King Charles III's 'King's Speech' at the State Opening of Parliament, making the schedules of both houses exceptionally tight. The 'King's Speech' outlines the new bills the government intends to introduce in the coming year, followed by several days of related debate in Parliament. Despite the heavy schedule, the reception on the 14th attracted many cross-party UK parliamentarians, including senior and committee-chair-level members. The co-chair of the group, Labour MP Sarah Champion, is the Chair of the International Development Committee and a member of the influential Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy. Representative Yao Chin-hsiang, Taiwan's representative to the UK, told the Central News Agency that the interaction between the legislative delegation and the UK Parliament was very successful. He noted it was remarkable that so many busy MPs attended the welcome reception, held just a day after Parliament opened. Following that, the Speaker of the House of Commons meeting with President Han Kuo-yu and representatives from all parties in the delegation, amidst his busy schedule, was equally rare. In his interview at Taoyuan Airport, Han revealed that French and British parliamentarians have promised to visit Taiwan soon, with the first group scheduled to arrive in late May. At the reception on the 14th, Sarah Champion had announced that she plans to lead a delegation to Taiwan this autumn. Champion told CNA that considering the current international situation, it is more important than ever for democracies to stand united. Only by working together with partners can they effectively address related challenges on the international stage. (Editor: Ho Hung-ju) 1150518