Britain looks forward to enhanced cooperation with Taiwan: BTCO head

"Trade relations last year increased in both directions," he said, noting that for the whole year, British exports to Taiwan—and vice versa—have been at their highest levels in many years.

"I am very confident it will be at a record," he added.

He explained, however, that there are still a number of issues the UK government hopes to work out by the time the new Taiwan administration is appointed on May 20.

As his top policy goals for the year ahead, he cited the following in particular: maintaining cross-strait stability, lifting discriminatory laws against foreign companies, tackling environmental issues, promoting UK universities in outreach to local students and encouraging British companies to invest in Taiwan.

"Cross-strait stability is something we hope the new government will pay attention to," he said, noting that a more stable relationship with China would help increase economic development with Britain as well.

But that is not all. Reilly stressed that on trade-related issues Taiwan law is still "discriminatory against foreign companies in a number of areas."

British firms interested in investing in Taiwan are often deterred, not by restrictions on cross-strait trade, he went on, but "they are deterred by the existing regulations in Taiwan that actually make it very unattractive for lots of companies to do business here."

He cited for instance, Taiwan public procurement law: "It is impossible for a foreign company to win a contract here even if the company settles an office in Taiwan."

The same doesn't work in reverse, however, as Taiwan companies that settle an office in England can get contracts from the UK government, just like UK companies.

"Here in Taiwan, the law says: 'foreign companies are foreign companies,' even if they settle here," he continued.

"That is not an incentive for foreign companies to come and settle in Taiwan."

Accordingly, he stressed that UK companies would decide whether or not to invest in Taiwan based on considering attractive prospects existing on the local market.

"They will look secondarily at using Taiwan as a springboard toward China," he added, as the BTCO is aiming to encourage British companies to come to Taiwan to look at the very opportunities existing on the Taiwan market.

Further, Reilly noted, the BTCO will try to work with the new government to get real progress in Taiwan on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The UK government announced its energy policy last week, committing to building new nuclear power stations and ensuring better energy security by getting the right mix between various energy sources.

"It doesn't mean that we are going to go 100 percent nuclear," he stressed, while emphasizing that the UK was a pioneer in developing nuclear energy and that the number of accidents for the last 60 years has been very limited.

Also, Reilly stressed the BTOC would encourage more Taiwan students to travel to the UK and study at the country's world-renowned universities.

"In 2006, we issued 9,500 student visas," he said, noting that it was the fourth highest number worldwide.

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