Taiwan’s Tsai thanks British minister for support

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — President Tsai Ing-wen has thanked British Trade Minister Greg Hands for London’s support for Taiwan after he became the latest foreign official to defy Chinese pressure and visit the self-ruled island democracy. Tsai expressed hope for “new heights” in British-Taiwanese relations and “joint achievements” at a time when the mainland’s ruling Communist Party is stepping up efforts to intimidate the island, which Beijing claims as part of its territory. For its part, Britain is looking to develop new trade partnerships since leaving the European Union in 2020. Hands became the first British official to visit Taiwan since that year’s start of the coronavirus pandemic.