In 1861, the British consulate opened on Fort Santo Domingo in Taipei (Taihoku).[2] Joseph Henry Longford was appointed Consul at Tainan on 4 February 1896, and then to Nagasaki on 28 December 1896. Dr. Hsieh Pao, appointed on 4 June 1948, was the last RoC ambassador to the UK.[3]
Since 1949
For further details of the United Kingdom's diplomatic relations with the ROC/Taiwan, see China–United Kingdom relations.
After the defeat of the nationalist forces in Mainland China during the Chinese Civil War and the retreat of the KMT government to Taiwan, the United Kingdom broke off diplomatic relations with the Republic of China and recognised the People's Republic of China from 6 January 1950. The United Kingdom however maintained a Consulate in Tamsui until 13 March 1972.
After the 1999 Jiji earthquake, which was the second-deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's history, the UK dispatched a disaster rescue team to help search for trapped survivors and condolences were offered to the victims by Elizabeth II.[6]
The United Kingdom supports Taiwan's participation in international organisations where statehood is not a prerequisite, including lobbying for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Organization.[7] Taiwan has been referred to as a country by several UK Members of Parliament.[8][9]
In 2020, Taiwan donated medical masks to the United Kingdom to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. Donated masks were transferred to the NHS for distribution. The masks were among 7 million donated to European countries.[10]
On 22 October 2020, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan (MOFA) brokered a deal with the UK to get 100 UK students to study at local Taiwanese universities. The students will be on scholarships and they will be learning Mandarin. The deal is part of President Tsai Ing-wen's vision to turn Taiwan into a bilingual country by 2030.[11]
In 2022, a delegation of British parliamentarians led by Alicia Kearns visited Taiwan. The visit prompted protests by the Chinese embassy in London.[12]
