October 9, 2016
No.233
Five Members of Scottish Parliament of the UK, namely Alexander Stewart MSP, Neil Findlay MSP, Clare Haughey MSP, Jamie Greene MSP and Thomas Arthur MSP, are in Taiwan through October 13 on a visit that began on October 9 at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The purpose of the visit is to gain a better understanding of recent political, economic and cultural developments in Taiwan, and to further enhance interaction between Taiwan and Scotland in such areas as economics, trade, tourism, culture and education.
In addition to attending the ROC National Day celebrations and related activities on October 10, the delegation members will call at the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s National Health Insurance Administration, Taipei City government, Taichung City government, the Taiwan Stock Exchange, the Straits Exchange Foundation, the British Office Taipei and Scottish Development International’s Taiwan office, as well as other sites of cultural and economic interest, including Taipei 101, the National Palace Museum and Sun Moon Lake. They will also attend a luncheon held by MOFA.
Taiwan, which operates a mission in Edinburgh, maintains close contacts with both the Scottish government and private sector, actively promoting bilateral exchanges in economics, trade and culture. Taiwan is presently the world’s fourth largest market for imports of Scotch whisky, with sales in 2015 reaching 182 million. Edinburgh, a major international hub of culture and the arts, plays host to world-renowned events such as the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where many Taiwanese performing arts groups have staged shows over the years. (E)