Martin Kent, the newly appointed U.K. trade commissioner for Asia Pacific, is currently in Taiwan for a 5-day visit to broaden trade and investment links between the U.K. and Taiwan, the British Office Taipei said Monday.
The main purpose of his visit is to meet with the International Trade Administration under Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs and prepare topics for the 26th annual U.K.-Taiwan Trade Talks due to take place in London in November, the office said in a press release.
According to the office, Kent will meet with Deputy Economics Minister Chen Chern-chyi (陳正祺), who will co-chair the Trade Talks alongside Nigel Huddleston, the U.K.'s international trade minister in the Department for Business and Trade.
In addition, the commissioner will meet with Taiwan's chief trade negotiator, Minister without Portfolio John Deng (鄧振中), to continue talks on the U.K.-Taiwan Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) announced earlier this year, the office said.
During his visit, Kent will also meet with key representatives of U.K. businesses in Taiwan to understand local market opportunities, as well as key Taiwanese companies, including China Airlines and silicon wafer supplier GlobalWafers, to explore collaboration.
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The U.K. and Taiwan already have a "thriving trade relationship" based on collaboration in key areas such as offshore wind, the office said.
"Through this visit and wider engagement, we are broadening this to include new areas in the technology-related sectors, including semiconductors," said the office.
"I look forward to promoting U.K.-Taiwan trade growth from its existing bilateral level of £8.6 billion (US$10.5 billion) per year using the upcoming Trade Talks and Enhanced Trade Partnership as a catalyst," Kent was quoted by the office as saying.
The commissioner said he will also focus on promoting investment in the U.K.'s clean growth sector and exploring broader partnerships in the science and technology and research and development fields during this trip.
Clean growth refers to growing national income while cutting greenhouse gas emissions, according to the U.K.'s 2018 policy paper.
Taiwan is now the U.K.'s fifth largest trading partner in the Asia Pacific region, and the U.K. is Taiwan's third largest trading partner in Europe, the office said.
Total U.K. exports to Taiwan in 2022 hit £3.9 billion, with an 18.2 percent year-on-year increase in goods exports, it said.
