At 10:00 a.m. on April 1, Legislative Yuan President Daniel K.Y. Han (韓國瑜), accompanied by Vice President Dr. Johnny C. Chiang (江啟臣), KMT Legislator and Vice President of the ROC-UK Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association Hsu Yu-Chen, DPP Legislator Dr. Wang Ting-Yu, TPP Legislator Chen Gau-Tzu, and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ger Bau-Shuan, received a nine-member delegation from the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG), led by Chair Lord Rogan, a Member of the House of Lords.
President Han first extended a warm welcome to the delegation and noted that, unlike the UK Parliament, Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan is a unicameral body. It is composed of 113 legislators representing the will of the people. He added that the Vice President and representatives from the three major political parties had been invited to join the meeting in order to further deepen parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and the United Kingdom. He then went on to highlight the profound global influence of the United Kingdom’s cultural heritage and democratic development, citing symbolic examples such as King Arthur’s sword, former Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s cigar, and wands from Harry Potter, which respectively represent Britain’s leadership, resilience, and cultural soft power. He also praised the United Kingdom’s distinguished foreign policies developed over more than a century, quoting General Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of modern Turkey, who advised that when faced with difficult foreign policy decisions, one should follow the United Kingdom’s lead—underscoring his high regard for British diplomacy. In closing, President Han once again thanked the APPG delegation for visiting Taiwan and expressed hope for closer cooperation across all sectors, so that Taiwan and the United Kingdom can jointly contribute to greater security, freedom, openness, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Lord Rogan, Chair of the APPG, expressed his gratitude to President Han, Vice President Chiang, and the attending legislators for their warm hospitality. While he has visited Taiwan several times before, many members of the delegation were visiting for the first time and were deeply impressed by Taiwan’s vibrant society and hospitality. Lord Rogan highlighted Taiwan’s strong economic performance, noting a growth rate of 8 percent and an unemployment rate as low as 3 percent. He also pointed out that Taiwan produces 60 percent of the world’s chips and 95 percent of advanced chips, underscoring its critical role in the global economy. Leading a cross-party delegation on this visit, he expressed his intention to share Taiwan’s importance and influence with more members of the UK Parliament upon returning home. He further affirmed continued support for Taiwan’s participation in the international community, including organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL), and pledged to actively speak up for Taiwan on the global stage.
Vice President Chiang began his remarks by welcoming the delegation to Taiwan. He noted that he had served for eight years (2016–2024) as President of the Taiwan-UK Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, and that during his visit to the United Kingdom in September 2025, despite a short trip, he had met with many key pro-Taiwan members of the UK Parliament. This experience reinforced his belief that parliamentary engagement plays a vital role in strengthening bilateral ties. He further pointed out that the United Kingdom has made significant investments in Taiwan’s offshore wind energy sector, and expressed hope for continued expansion of cooperation in areas such as trade, culture, education, technology, and security, in order to further enhance bilateral relations and deepen shared democratic values and global partnerships.
Legislator Hsu expressed appreciation for the UK government’s longstanding support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait. Representing the KMT caucus, she said it was an honor to welcome friends from the UK Parliament. She expressed hope that under the framework of the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP), Taiwan and the United Kingdom will continue to advance three sub-agreements: the Taiwan-UK ETP Digital Trade Agreement, the Taiwan-UK ETP Energy and Net-Zero Agreement, and the Taiwan-UK ETP Investment Agreement. She also voiced hope that, amid an evolving geopolitical landscape, both sides can promote steady economic growth while supporting Taiwan’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Legislator Wang noted that Taiwan and the United Kingdom share many similarities, both facing challenges from being island nations and their geographic proximity to continental powers. At the same time, both uphold universal values such as democracy, equality, and freedom. He expressed confidence that strengthened Taiwan-UK cooperation will contribute to global peace and stability and thanked the United Kingdom for its longstanding support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Legislator Chen stated that one of her key priorities as a legislator is to promote the legalization of surrogacy in Taiwan. She noted that since the birth of the world’s first IVF baby in the United Kingdom in 1978, the UK has been a leader in reproductive medicine and has established an altruism-based surrogacy system, which Taiwan has drawn upon in its own legislative proposals. She also added that, as Co-Chair of the Taiwan chapter of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), she appreciates the UK Parliament’s 2024 statement clarifying that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not determine Taiwan’s status. She noted that this has helped raise Taiwan’s international visibility, and expressed gratitude for the UK Parliament’s support for Taiwan’s international standing.
The two sides then engaged in extensive discussions on a wide range of issues, including aging societies, social resilience, Taiwan’s international participation, the development of democracy in the United Kingdom, energy supply and security, and bilateral economic and trade cooperation. The meeting lasted approximately 60 minutes and concluded on a cordial and friendly note with an exchange of commemorative gifts. (2026/04/01)
