Taiwan looks forward to Britain supporting CPTPP bid as minister hails "likeminded partners”

Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen told visiting British minister of state for trade Greg Hands on Wednesday that she looks forward to Britain joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and supporting Taiwan's membership. 

Tsai said she hopes relations with Britain will continue to improve under new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, according to a read out of the meeting provided by the president's office. 

Britain and Taiwan have much in common and face many challenges as likeminded partners, the British minister told Tsai on Wednesday in Taipei.  

Greg Hands is the latest Western official to visit Taiwan 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. 

"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 organizations, 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. 

(Reuters)