President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan meets with Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones of the British Office Taipei and delegation; President Han: We hope to further advance parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and the UK and deepen bilateral cooperation
On the afternoon of March 12, President Daniel K.Y. Han of the Legislative Yuan met with Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones of the British Office Taipei and her four-member delegation. He was accompanied by Legislator Alice Chang, Chair of the ROC-UK Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, along with DPP Legislator Chen Kuan-Ting, TPP Legislator Mai Yu-Chen, and Director of the Department of International Affairs Kevin C.F. Lin.
President Han began by warmly welcoming the guests, expressing his pleasure at the opportunity to meet with Ruth Bradley-Jones, the newly appointed Representative of the British Office Taipei. He praised Representative Bradley-Jones for her impressive academic background, having studied at both Oxford and Cambridge, as well as her distinguished 20-year diplomatic career. Her previous roles include Minister at the British Embassy in Myanmar and key positions at the UK’s missions to the EU, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. She also oversaw Northeast Asian affairs at the UK Foreign Office and was involved in the Iran nuclear negotiations and Myanmar’s peace process. President Han highlighted her extensive experience in global governance, international development, and humanitarian assistance, commending her outstanding contributions to the international community. President Han went on to note that Representative Bradley-Jones was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the British Royal Family in 2023 in recognition of her contributions to gender equality. He also highlighted Taiwan’s remarkable progress in promoting gender equality in recent years, with an increasing number of women making outstanding contributions in the political sphere. In the current 11th Legislative Yuan, 47 of the 113 seats are held by women, accounting for an impressive 41 percent—the highest rate of female political participation among Asian countries.
President Han specifically noted that Representative Bradley-Jones assumed her post in Taiwan this February, during a time of significant shifts in the international landscape, and emphasized that the responsibilities she will shoulder in the future will be even more substantial. President Han remarked that since her arrival, Representative Bradley-Jones has surely experienced the warmth and hospitality of the Taiwanese people. He noted that while Taiwan may be small in size, it is rich in cultural diversity and filled with vitality and a strong spirit of perseverance. Taiwan is home to numerous "hidden champions" across traditional industries, manufacturing, and high-tech sectors. He extended a sincere welcome to British enterprises to further strengthen their economic and trade cooperation with Taiwan.
When discussing the international landscape, President Han quoted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of modern Turkey, in praise of the United Kingdom’s astute foreign policy, stating, “If you ever have to take sides in global affairs, remember to side with the British, for their foreign policy is usually the right one.” He expressed hope that Representative Bradley-Jones would offer valuable insights on the challenges Taiwan currently faces. President Han concluded by emphasizing that, in light of the current complex and rapidly evolving international landscape, he looks forward to Representative Bradley-Jones continuing to strengthen Taiwan-UK bilateral cooperation in areas such as democratic values and economic development. He also expressed hope that she would continue to serve as a vital bridge, facilitating greater exchanges between personnel and deepening dialogue and engagement between the parliaments of Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
In her remarks, Representative Bradley-Jones began with a greeting in Mandarin, expressing gratitude to President Han and legislators from all parties for taking the time to meet. She noted that Taiwan-UK relations are founded on shared democratic values, and highlighted the close cooperation between the two sides in recent years across various fields, including investment, trade, human rights, energy transition, and education. She expressed hope that the partnership would continue to deepen, fostering economic prosperity and societal resilience together.
Representative Bradley-Jones went on to highlight the longstanding and close exchanges between Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan and the UK Parliament, noting in particular the friendly ties between Taiwan and the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). She affirmed that parliamentary-level engagement between the two sides will continue to deepen in the future. She also commended President Han for actively promoting cross-party dialogue and engagement since taking office, and expressed her hope that Taiwan and the United Kingdom will expand cooperation across an even broader range of fields in the future. On the issue of gender equality, Representative Bradley-Jones noted that while significant progress has been made globally over the past two decades in women's access to education and political participation, there remains considerable room for improvement, particularly given today’s international environment and the predominantly male-dominated social structures in many countries. She emphasized that gender equality and diversity and inclusion remain vital issues in the international community, expressing hope that stakeholders across all sectors will continue to advance relevant discussions to foster a fair and just society.
Representative Bradley-Jones concluded by stating that the British Office Taipei is committed not only to advancing economic and trade cooperation between the UK and Taiwan, but also to deepening bilateral relations in areas such as democratic development, information sharing, and societal resilience. She specifically noted that President Han will witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) tomorrow, as well as the co-hosting of a parliamentary dialogue forum. She affirmed that this marks a significant step in strengthening democratic development between the two countries. The United Kingdom, she added, will remain steadfast in upholding democratic values and will continue working alongside Taiwan to navigate today’s complex international landscape, striving together to make the world a better place.
Legislator Alice Chang stated that, as Chair of the Legislative Yuan’s ROC-UK Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, she will continue to promote parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and the UK. She extended an invitation to Representative Bradley-Jones and colleagues from the British Office Taipei to visit her hometown of Yunlin County next week to experience its local customs and unique culture firsthand. Looking ahead, she expressed hope to foster cooperation between Yunlin and the United Kingdom in areas such as trade, education, culture, and technology.
Legislator Chen Kuan-Ting noted that the international landscape has undergone dramatic changes over the past three months, and that parliamentary diplomacy will play a pivotal role in shaping Taiwan’s relations with other countries. He pointed out that the United States’ recalibration of its global engagement is reshaping the international order and drawing significant global attention. He expressed hope that Representative Bradley-Jones will continue to advance the deepening of Taiwan-UK relations to ensure the steady development of bilateral cooperation.
Legislator Mai Yu-Chen praised Representative Bradley-Jones for her friendliness, wisdom, and dedication to advancing human rights, women’s rights, and social justice. She shared her personal experience, noting that as an immigrant from Vietnam, she has remained committed to advocating for the rights of women and immigrants since entering the Legislative Yuan. In 2003, she founded the Taiwan Immigrant Association to further this mission. Legislator Mai expressed her hope to engage in further exchanges with Representative Bradley-Jones, with a shared focus on developments related to gender equality in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the United Kingdom.
The two sides engaged in a wide-ranging exchange of views on Taiwan-UK relations, economic and trade development, gender equality, democracy, and societal resilience. As Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones’s birthday had just passed the previous week, President Han and the attending legislators extended their warmest birthday wishes to her and expressed hopes for more frequent reciprocal visits and exchanges between the parliaments of Taiwan and the United Kingdom in the future. The meeting lasted approximately 50 minutes and was marked by a warm and cordial atmosphere. It concluded successfully with the exchange of commemorative gifts and a group photo.
President Han began by warmly welcoming the guests, expressing his pleasure at the opportunity to meet with Ruth Bradley-Jones, the newly appointed Representative of the British Office Taipei. He praised Representative Bradley-Jones for her impressive academic background, having studied at both Oxford and Cambridge, as well as her distinguished 20-year diplomatic career. Her previous roles include Minister at the British Embassy in Myanmar and key positions at the UK’s missions to the EU, Ethiopia, and Djibouti. She also oversaw Northeast Asian affairs at the UK Foreign Office and was involved in the Iran nuclear negotiations and Myanmar’s peace process. President Han highlighted her extensive experience in global governance, international development, and humanitarian assistance, commending her outstanding contributions to the international community. President Han went on to note that Representative Bradley-Jones was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) by the British Royal Family in 2023 in recognition of her contributions to gender equality. He also highlighted Taiwan’s remarkable progress in promoting gender equality in recent years, with an increasing number of women making outstanding contributions in the political sphere. In the current 11th Legislative Yuan, 47 of the 113 seats are held by women, accounting for an impressive 41 percent—the highest rate of female political participation among Asian countries.
President Han specifically noted that Representative Bradley-Jones assumed her post in Taiwan this February, during a time of significant shifts in the international landscape, and emphasized that the responsibilities she will shoulder in the future will be even more substantial. President Han remarked that since her arrival, Representative Bradley-Jones has surely experienced the warmth and hospitality of the Taiwanese people. He noted that while Taiwan may be small in size, it is rich in cultural diversity and filled with vitality and a strong spirit of perseverance. Taiwan is home to numerous "hidden champions" across traditional industries, manufacturing, and high-tech sectors. He extended a sincere welcome to British enterprises to further strengthen their economic and trade cooperation with Taiwan.
When discussing the international landscape, President Han quoted Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founding father of modern Turkey, in praise of the United Kingdom’s astute foreign policy, stating, “If you ever have to take sides in global affairs, remember to side with the British, for their foreign policy is usually the right one.” He expressed hope that Representative Bradley-Jones would offer valuable insights on the challenges Taiwan currently faces. President Han concluded by emphasizing that, in light of the current complex and rapidly evolving international landscape, he looks forward to Representative Bradley-Jones continuing to strengthen Taiwan-UK bilateral cooperation in areas such as democratic values and economic development. He also expressed hope that she would continue to serve as a vital bridge, facilitating greater exchanges between personnel and deepening dialogue and engagement between the parliaments of Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
In her remarks, Representative Bradley-Jones began with a greeting in Mandarin, expressing gratitude to President Han and legislators from all parties for taking the time to meet. She noted that Taiwan-UK relations are founded on shared democratic values, and highlighted the close cooperation between the two sides in recent years across various fields, including investment, trade, human rights, energy transition, and education. She expressed hope that the partnership would continue to deepen, fostering economic prosperity and societal resilience together.
Representative Bradley-Jones went on to highlight the longstanding and close exchanges between Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan and the UK Parliament, noting in particular the friendly ties between Taiwan and the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG). She affirmed that parliamentary-level engagement between the two sides will continue to deepen in the future. She also commended President Han for actively promoting cross-party dialogue and engagement since taking office, and expressed her hope that Taiwan and the United Kingdom will expand cooperation across an even broader range of fields in the future. On the issue of gender equality, Representative Bradley-Jones noted that while significant progress has been made globally over the past two decades in women's access to education and political participation, there remains considerable room for improvement, particularly given today’s international environment and the predominantly male-dominated social structures in many countries. She emphasized that gender equality and diversity and inclusion remain vital issues in the international community, expressing hope that stakeholders across all sectors will continue to advance relevant discussions to foster a fair and just society.
Representative Bradley-Jones concluded by stating that the British Office Taipei is committed not only to advancing economic and trade cooperation between the UK and Taiwan, but also to deepening bilateral relations in areas such as democratic development, information sharing, and societal resilience. She specifically noted that President Han will witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD) and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD) tomorrow, as well as the co-hosting of a parliamentary dialogue forum. She affirmed that this marks a significant step in strengthening democratic development between the two countries. The United Kingdom, she added, will remain steadfast in upholding democratic values and will continue working alongside Taiwan to navigate today’s complex international landscape, striving together to make the world a better place.
Legislator Alice Chang stated that, as Chair of the Legislative Yuan’s ROC-UK Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, she will continue to promote parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and the UK. She extended an invitation to Representative Bradley-Jones and colleagues from the British Office Taipei to visit her hometown of Yunlin County next week to experience its local customs and unique culture firsthand. Looking ahead, she expressed hope to foster cooperation between Yunlin and the United Kingdom in areas such as trade, education, culture, and technology.
Legislator Chen Kuan-Ting noted that the international landscape has undergone dramatic changes over the past three months, and that parliamentary diplomacy will play a pivotal role in shaping Taiwan’s relations with other countries. He pointed out that the United States’ recalibration of its global engagement is reshaping the international order and drawing significant global attention. He expressed hope that Representative Bradley-Jones will continue to advance the deepening of Taiwan-UK relations to ensure the steady development of bilateral cooperation.
Legislator Mai Yu-Chen praised Representative Bradley-Jones for her friendliness, wisdom, and dedication to advancing human rights, women’s rights, and social justice. She shared her personal experience, noting that as an immigrant from Vietnam, she has remained committed to advocating for the rights of women and immigrants since entering the Legislative Yuan. In 2003, she founded the Taiwan Immigrant Association to further this mission. Legislator Mai expressed her hope to engage in further exchanges with Representative Bradley-Jones, with a shared focus on developments related to gender equality in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the United Kingdom.
The two sides engaged in a wide-ranging exchange of views on Taiwan-UK relations, economic and trade development, gender equality, democracy, and societal resilience. As Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones’s birthday had just passed the previous week, President Han and the attending legislators extended their warmest birthday wishes to her and expressed hopes for more frequent reciprocal visits and exchanges between the parliaments of Taiwan and the United Kingdom in the future. The meeting lasted approximately 50 minutes and was marked by a warm and cordial atmosphere. It concluded successfully with the exchange of commemorative gifts and a group photo.