立法院韓國瑜院長於本（3月12）日下午在「中華民國與英國國會聯誼會」會長張嘉郡委員、民進黨陳冠廷委員、民眾黨麥玉珍委員及國際事務處林晨富處長等陪同下，接見「英國在台辦事處」包瓊郁（Ruth Bradley-Jones）代表一行4人。
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.
韓院長首先向訪賓表達熱忱歡迎，表示很榮幸有機會與「英國在台辦事處」新任包瓊郁代表見面，並稱讚包代表不僅取得英國知名學府牛津及劍橋大學學歷，更擁有20年的外交資歷、曾擔任駐緬甸公使，並於英國駐歐盟、衣索比亞、吉布地等外館擔任要職，且曾於英國外交部主責東北亞事務，也曾參與伊朗核談判、推動緬甸和平化進程等工作，在全球治理、國際發展及人道援助等領域累積豐富經驗，為國際社會的發展作出卓越貢獻。韓院長續稱，包代表於2023年獲英國皇室授予「大英帝國員佐勳章」（MBE），以表彰其對性別平權的貢獻，並說明我國近年來推動性別平權之成效斐然，越來越多台灣女性在政治領域嶄露頭角，表現優異，立法院本(第11)屆113席立法委員中，即有47席女性委員，占比高達41%，女性參政比例為亞洲國家之冠。
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.
韓院長特別提及，包代表今年2月來台履新，這段時期適逢國際局勢變化劇烈，包代表未來肩負的責任將更為重大；包代表抵台後想必已深刻體會台灣人民的友善與熱情，並感受到台灣雖然土地面積小，但我們擁有多元的文化，內部充滿旺盛生命力與奮鬥精神，台灣在傳統產業、製造業及高科技產業等領域有著許多「隱形冠軍」，誠摯歡迎英國企業持續強化與台灣的經貿合作。
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.
談及國際局勢，韓院長引用土耳其國父凱末爾（Mustafa Kemal Atatürk）名言，讚許英國對外交政策的精準判斷，強調：「若在全球事務中不得不選邊站，記得要站在英國這一邊，因為英國的外交政策往往是正確的。」盼包代表針對台灣面臨的挑戰給予寶貴建言。韓院長最後強調，面對當前詭譎多變的國際局勢，期盼包代表在民主價值、經貿發展等領域繼續深化台英雙邊合作，並持續發揮橋梁作用，促成更多台英人員互訪及深化台英國會的對話與交流。
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.
包代表致詞時特別以中文開場，感謝韓院長及各黨派委員撥冗接見，繼表示台英關係建立在共享的民主價值基礎之上，雙方近年來在投資、貿易、人權、能源轉型及教育等領域均保持密切合作，期盼未來能進一步深化夥伴關係，攜手共創經濟繁榮與社會韌性。
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.
包代表續提及，台灣立法院與英國國會長期緊密交流，其中英國國會「台英國會小組」（APPG）與台灣關係友好，未來雙方在國會層級的互動將持續深化。此外，她也肯定韓院長上任後積極推動跨黨派交流與對話，期望未來台英能在更多領域展開合作。在性別平權議題方面，包代表提及，雖然過去二十年來全球女性在教育與政治參與方面已取得顯著進展，但在當前國際環境及各國多為男性主導之社會結構下，仍有許多可以努力的空間。她強調，性別平等與多元包容仍是國際社會的重要議題，期盼各界持續推動相關討論，以促進公平與公正的社會發展。
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.
包代表最後表示，「英國在台辦事處」不僅致力於推動台英經貿合作，更希望在民主發展、資訊分享、社會韌性等多方面深化雙邊關係。她特別提到，韓院長將於明日見證「台灣民主基金會」（Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, TFD）與英國「西敏寺民主基金會」（Westminster Foundation For Democracy, WFD）簽署合作備忘錄並合辦議會交流座談會，相信此對強化兩國民主發展具有重要意義，英國將持續堅守民主價值，並與台灣攜手應對當前複雜國際形勢，共同努力讓世界變得更美好。
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.
張嘉郡委員表示，她身為立法院「中華民國與英國國會聯誼會」會長，將持續推動台英國會交流，並邀請包代表及「英國在台辦事處」同仁下週前往她的家鄉雲林縣，親身體驗當地風土民情與獨特文化，未來並盼推動雲林與英國在貿易、教育、文化及科技等各項領域的合作。
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.
陳冠廷委員則指出，近3個月來國際局勢變化劇烈，國會外交將在台灣與其他國家間發揮關鍵作用，因美國調整其國際參與程度，重塑全球秩序，引發國際社會高度關注，他期盼包代表能持續促進台英關係深化，確保雙邊合作穩健發展。
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.
麥玉珍委員則盛讚包代表親切且富有智慧，致力推動人權、女權與公平正義，她分享自身經歷，表示作為來自越南的新住民，在進入立法院後仍持續關注推動女性及新住民權益，並於2003年創立「台灣新移民協會」。麥委員期待未來能與包代表進一步交流，共同關注台灣、東南亞與英國在性平議題上的相關發展。
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.
雙方嗣就台英關係、經貿發展、性別平權、民主與社會韌性等議題廣泛交換意見，上週適逢包瓊郁代表生日，韓院長與在場委員特別向其致上祝福，並期盼未來台英國會能多組團互訪交流。此次會晤歷約50分鐘，氣氛友好熱絡，在雙方互贈紀念品及合影後圓滿結束。
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.
