Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) will visit the United Kingdom after her stop in Denmark at the invitation of British officials in her first visit to the country since leaving office in 2024. Tsai is expected to meet with British politicians, professionals, and academic research institutions.
Tsai was originally scheduled to visit the U.K. October last year and deliver a speech to members of the Parliament, according to the Guardian. However, the trip was canceled after the country’s foreign ministry determined the timing wasn’t right as it coincided with British foreign secretary David Lammy’s trip to Beijing.
Taiwan’s current president, Lai Ching-te (賴清德), has faced significant military and economic pressure from China since taking office last year. During his time as president, Taiwan has also accused China of infiltrating and colluding with opposition politicians in an attempt to undermine the Taiwanese government.
Nikkei reported that Tsai’s unofficial diplomatic visit is symbolic of warming U.K.-Taiwan relations amid growing Chinese and Russian pressure, in line with the U.K.’s public stances that condemn Chinese military interference and oppose Taiwan’s exclusion from international organizations. The report added that the trip will also help refute China and the KMT’s portrayal of Lai as a troublemaker.