UK Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands is visiting Taiwan on a two-day trip starting Monday. He will co-host the 25th UK-Taiwan Trade Talks alongside Taiwan’s Deputy Economics Minister Chen Chern-chyi (陳正祺).
During his stay in Taiwan, Hands will meet President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), as well as a number of other high-ranking officials. That includes Vice Premier Shen Jong-chin (沈榮津), Economics Minister Wang Mei-hua (王美花), and Digital Minister Audrey Tang (唐鳳).
The UK’s Department of International Trade says that during his stay in Taiwan, Hands will try to overcome trade obstacles in areas like financial technology, food and beverages, as well as medicine. He will also promote British expertise on off-shore wind farms, hydrogen energy, and electric vehicles, and work to strengthen cooperation on green trade and supply chains.
During the trade talks, Taiwan and the UK are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in areas of technology and innovation. It will include a commitment to invest £5 million (NT$182 million) in Taiwan by 2025.
The annual, government-level trade meetings began in 1991. This year’s event will be the first held in-person since the global outbreak of COVID-19 in early 2020.