INTERVIEW/Strategic partnership key to Taiwan-U.K. cooperation: Deputy economics minister

London, Oct. 3 (CNA) Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Economic Affairs Cynthia Kiang (江文若), who has just concluded an annual economic and trade dialogue with her U.K. counterpart in London, said Friday that establishing a strategic partnership is key to bilateral cooperation.

Kiang told CNA in an interview that geopolitical tensions and the restructuring of global supply chains have prompted many economies to pay closer attention to pragmatic cooperation through the establishment of "reliable strategic partnerships."

Kiang co-hosted the 2026 dialogue with U.K. Minister of State for Trade Lord Anas Sarwar on Friday. The annual Taiwan-U.K. vice ministerial-level economic and trade talks have been held alternately in Taipei and London since 1991.

Kiang's delegation comprised of executives of nearly 20 Taiwanese companies, the largest such delegation in 10 years. After the annual dialogue, those business leaders attended a roundtable to exchange views with business executives from the U.K.

Kiang described the U.K. as a reliable strategic partner of Taiwan.

President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) has unveiled plans to promote five major industries -- semiconductors, artificial intelligence, the defense industry, cybersecurity, and next-generation communications -- to boost Taiwan's industrial development.

The U.K., for its part, has identified eight high-growth strategic sectors -- advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, defense, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services -- to strengthen its competitiveness.

Kiang said Taiwan and the U.K. share a similar vision for industrial development.

"The U.K. has taken the lead in research and development and innovation in the global market, while Taiwan has strengths in manufacturing and commercial applications," Kiang said.

"Taiwan and the U.K., both being export-oriented economies, can complement each other based on existing mutual trust and mutual benefits, allowing us to work together to compete in the global market," she said.

In a statement after the dialogue, Sarwar said the U.K. and Taiwan share a strong trading relationship that is delivering growth, jobs and investment for both economies.

"Today's trade talks have helped identify new opportunities in digital trade, clean energy and advanced manufacturing to support our industrial ambitions and drive growth in every postcode," he added.

Kiang and Sarwar also witnessed the signing of two memoranda of understanding -- one between the Export-Import Bank of the Republic of China (Taiwan) (EXIM) and UK Export Finance (UKEF), and the other between EXIM and Tech UK, a business association of more than 1,100 members.

According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), the first MOU is expected to provide financing to facilitate trade activities for businesses, while the second aims to establish an exchange platform for the technology industries.

The MOEA said the two agreements are expected to combine financial resources and industrial networks to create more favorable conditions for future cooperation between Taiwanese and British businesses.

Kiang said Taiwan and the U.K. are both economies with a strong base of small and medium-sized enterprises, which need government support. She said that, initially, export credits will focus on energy development.

According to the MOEA, the U.K. is Taiwan's third-largest European trading partner, with bilateral trade surpassing US$6.8 billion in 2025.

As of the end of August, cumulative investment from the U.K. in Taiwan had topped US$16.2 billion, the MOEA said, adding that the ministry will continue to use the official dialogue, alongside the private sector, to enhance the economic resilience of the two countries.