In the mid-1990s, hopes of securing major investment from Taiwan in developing a civil aircraft led the British government to upgrade its contacts with Taiwanese representatives. But these fell far short of Taiwanese aspirations and the project came to nothing. Trade continued to grow and by 2001, Taiwan was the EU’s third largest bilateral trading partner in Asia. Thereafter, however, contract awards to European companies for trains and aircraft were overturned and given to Japanese or American companies on political grounds. Then, a high profile dispute over compulsory licensing of technology, plus continuing barriers to trade and a decline in trade as patterns shifted following China’s accession to the WTO, together with political concerns over cross-strait tensions, led to a cooling in EU-Taiwan relations. After the UK lifted its visa requirements for Taiwanese visitors in 2009, the rest of the EU followed suit. Relations have subsequently improved but remain hampered by divided EU views on China, despite sharing democratic values with Taiwan.
Planes, Trains and Visas—Taiwan, 1995–2010