UK Trade Minister in Taiwan for Annual Bilateral Talks

British junior trade minister Douglas Alexander visited Taiwan for annual trade talks aimed at deepening the bilateral trade relationship, which reached a record £9.3 billion in 2024. During the visit, Alexander met with Taiwan's President William Lai and co-chaired talks focusing on cooperation in investment, digital trade, and energy under the Enhanced Trade Partnership pillars established in 2023. The talks also included engagement with British and Taiwanese businesses, such as semiconductor firm ARM and Walsin Lihwa Corp, to explore new growth opportunities. Alexander emphasized the importance of the partnership for economic growth and highlighted digital trade pilots involving UK companies to streamline trade with Taiwan. Despite the visit's commercial focus, it is sensitive diplomatically as China claims Taiwan as its territory and opposes official foreign interactions; this trip occurred amid ongoing efforts to mend UK-China relations, including a planned visit by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Beijing. The UK maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei and continues unofficial but active engagement with Taiwan, balancing economic interests and geopolitical tensions.