Taipei: Deputy Legislative Speaker Johnny Chiang of the opposition Kuomintang (KMT) met with a visiting U.K. parliamentary delegation, urging the United Kingdom to support Taiwan's application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

According to Focus Taiwan, Chiang addressed the delegation led by Sarah Champion, co-chair of the British-Taiwanese All-Party Parliamentary Group and a Labor Member of Parliament (MP). He congratulated the U.K. on its CPTPP membership and encouraged London to leverage its influence to assist Taiwan's bid to enter the trade bloc.

The CPTPP, a major global trade agreement, emerged after the United States' withdrawal from the Trans-Pacific Partnership in 2017. It encompasses a market of 500 million people and contributes to 13.5 percent of global trade. The agreement includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the U.K., which officially joined in December 2024.

Taiwan submitted its application to join the CPTPP on September 22, 2021, shortly after China's application for membership. Chiang emphasized Taiwan's compliance with the CPTPP's rigorous standards and expressed confidence that U.K. support would enable both nations to collaborate in fostering regional prosperity.

Chiang also highlighted the potential for Taipei and London to enhance cooperation across various sectors, including economics, trade, culture, education, technology, and security, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations, uphold democratic values, and enhance global partnerships.

In response, Champion expressed her enduring enthusiasm for Taiwan, citing shared democratic values as a foundation for her support. She noted that the visit by the seven-member cross-party parliamentary delegation signifies the U.K. parliament's backing. Champion agreed with Chiang on the importance of parliamentary diplomacy for strengthening U.K.-Taiwan relations, stating that such visits enhance MPs' understanding of Taiwan.

The U.K. delegation, received by Chiang along with KMT lawmaker Lai Shyh-bao, Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Kuo Yu-ching, and Taiwan People's Party lawmaker Huang Kuo-chang, engaged in discussions on various topics, including cross-strait relations, the South China Sea situation, and Taiwan's defense spending relative to its GDP.