The Speaker of the United Kingdom’s House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle met with Taiwan’s representative in the UK Kelly Hsieh (謝武樵) in London on Tuesday. Speaker Hoyle also posted photos of the meeting on Twitter. Both the meeting and its public acknowledgement by a high ranking UK official are rare occurrences.
According to Taiwan’s representative office in the UK, the meeting lasted about 30 minutes and covered a wide range of topics aimed at improving bilateral relations.
The meeting is just the latest indicator of the growing connections between Taiwan and the House of Commons. Last year, the House of Commons held a debate specifically on Taiwan-related issues for the first time. Conservative MP Alicia Kearns, who led that debate, has since become the Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee. In a previous interview with Taiwanese media, Ms. Kearns said that Taiwan issues should be addressed on their own, not only within the context of China.
