Britain, Taiwan face many challenges as likeminded partners: UK minister

Britain and Taiwan have much in common and face many challenges as likeminded partners, a British minister told Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday in Taipei, the latest Western official to visit in defiance of Chinese demands such trips stop.

China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and strongly objects to any official interactions between the island and foreign governments, believing it to be support for Taiwan's desire to be recognized as its own country.

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“Our relationship reaches beyond trade and investment - as two groups of islands with strong democracies and institutions, we have much in common, and face many challenges as likeminded partners,” Greg Hands, Britain's minister of state for trade, told Tsai, his office said in a statement.

China's foreign ministry this week expressed anger at the trip, saying Britain should stop any official exchanges with Taiwan.

Taiwan views Britain as an important democratic partner and has been heartened by its concerns over recent Chinese military exercises near the island and support for its participation in international organisations, most of which Taiwan is excluded from because of China's objections.

Hands is visiting Taiwan for trade talks and is also scheduled to meet its top trade negotiator, John Deng, and Economy Minister Wang Mei-hua.

Britain has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but the two have close economic and informal relations and Britain maintains a de facto embassy in Taipei.

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