From 3 March 2009 Taiwan passport-holders who wish to visit the UK for less than six months on business or as a tourist, family visitor or student visitor will no longer require a visa.

Taiwanese National Day celebrations

Co-chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, spoke at the Taiwanese National Day celebrations held in the Gladstone Library at the National Liberal Club on 6 October 2011

Ambassador Chang, my lords, ladies and gentlemen. I am delighted to be with you this evening, and to be able on behalf of the British-Taiwanese all-party parliamentary group to congratulate Taiwan on its National Day, and also to celebrate the centenary of the founding of the Republic of China by Dr Sun Yat-sen in 1911.

Last month I sent a message to Taipei on behalf of all the officers of the all-party group congratulating the people of Taiwan on that centenary. We said we were conscious that Dr Sun founded the Republic on the Three Principles of the People: government of the people, by the people, for the people. Over the past century the achievement of these ideals has not been easy, but we were pleased to acknowledge that under the presidencies of Mr Lee, Mr Chen and Dr Ma Taiwan has emerged as a free multi-party democracy in which governments change through the ballot box and by democratic choice. At the same time we admired the country’s economic success, and were grateful for the contributions it makes to world health, to the alleviation of suffering in countries afflicted by national disaster, and to regional economic stability. We went on to say that over the course of its history, Taiwan has experienced much adversity, but also great success. It has successfully transformed itself from an agricultural backwater to a hi-tech economic powerhouse. It has been sustained by the indomitable spirit of its people, who have built together a cosmopolitan, democratic and open society.

This spirit is still alive in Taiwan today, and in this light, we acknowledge the accomplishments of the last century, and express our best wishes for its future in the next 100 years. My colleagues and I are proud to be known as friends and supporters of Taiwan. There are now 93 parliamentarians – in all parties and in both houses – who are listed as members of our group.

Over the past year we have been exceptionally busy, receiving and meeting a succession of influential visitors from Taiwan to the United Kingdom. These have included the DPP chairman and presidential candidate Dr Tsai, the minister for the Mainland Affairs Council Dr Lai, and the minister for justice Dr Tseng. In addition my colleague and co-chairman Lord Steel of Aikwood met the First Lady, Madame Ma at the Edinburgh Festival.

Thanks to the generosity of the government of Taiwan we have been able in the past year to send two delegations of parliamentarians to visit Taipei. The Deputy Speaker in the House of Commons, Nigel Evans MP led one group at the end of May, and I was the leader of the party which went in January. These were hard-working visits which involved a series of high-level meetings. Both groups were fortunate enough to be able to meet the President. You can read accounts of the visits on the all-party group’s website at www.taiwanappg.org.uk.

Our role is to help ensure that lines of communication are kept open even though official channels remain closed. So we work behind the scenes and sometimes achieve successes which might otherwise have been possible. One recent example was obtaining a visa for a senior minister to visit Britain to attend an important international conference – the personal intervention of a Foreign Office minister was necessary on that occasion.

We can also celebrate successes like the decision announced only last week to include Taiwan in the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme. Each year this will give up to 1,000 Taiwanese young people, aged between 18 and 30, the opportunity to visit Britain on the basis of multi-entry visas for up to two years to gain professional experience, work as volunteers, or pursue privately-funded studies. In return we hope that youngsters from Britain will choose to go and experience the customs of Taiwan, study Mandarin, and make lots of lasting friendships. Taiwan and Japan are the only two East Asian countries to have been admitted to this scheme, and there are only six countries in total which have this specially privileged relationship with the UK. This is a further example of the excellence of the relationship between Britain and Taiwan. We all understand how the One China policy makes normal diplomatic and defence relationships difficult – perhaps one day the one and a half million tourists from the mainland to Taiwan will be able to take back to their authorities the message that the sort of freedom and democracy that the Taiwanese people enjoy is worth trying on the mainland, and it’s time to stop threatening Taiwan and recognise its existence.

But until that happens, we have to remember the words of Confucius “A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step”.

As part of the step by step approach, an important part of our job in the all-party group is to assist Ambassador Chang and her excellent staff establish links and friendships within our parliament – not that she needs that much help. Katharine is one of the most skilled networkers I have ever come across, and I see her frequently in our building taking tea and holding court with my most influential colleagues.
And when it comes to our Royal Family, she leaves us standing. For the second year in succession she received Her Majesty The Queen on Taiwan’s wonderful stand at the Chelsea Flower Show, and presented her with a moth orchid hybrid, named Queen Elizabeth The Second. I am sure you would like to know that the flower is a cross between the sin-yaun golden beauty and pinlong cheris orchids. The former is prized throughout Asia for its red pistil and yellow petals, while the latter is renowned across Europe for its delicate pink colouring and abundance of flowers.

“By combining these two strikingly different forms of orchid, cultivators have created a flower reminiscent of the elegant yellow primrose dress and matching hat her majesty wore during the recent royal wedding,” the Taiwanese Orchid Growers’ Association said. “It is hoped the Queen Elizabeth II will serve as a lasting celebration of this most happy and joyous event.” I can think of no better way of finishing this short message of congratulation to Taiwan on its National Day and on the centenary of the country’s founding.