taiwan's president, tsai ing—wen, has told the bbc that the island has no need to declare formal independence because it already is an independent country. ms tsai said last week's presidential election, in which she won a second term in office, showed taiwanese people did not like being threatened by china. now on bbc news, panorama. britain's high streets are in crisis... walking down here i can see lots of vacant shops. and there is a very big one here. we've lost more than a quarter of shops on our high streets injust over a decade. i haven't been down the high street in a couple of months. the new government has promised its help, with investment for left behind towns, but how should that money be spent? retail has only ever been a part of the functions of a town. so it's time for a re—think. i think it's vital, actually,

that the high street becomes a place for community, for people to come together somewhere in the centre of the high street, there could be a key public space. tonight on panorama, we'll see how, in parts of the country, things are already changing... that has to increase footfall, that has to regenerate the area. stockton, sitting on the river tees, in the north—east of england. it has a proud heritage, but its high street has been struggling for a while. in the last five years, the town centre has lost more than 100 stores. hi, richard. hi, adam.

this is a prime example of what's happening in the retail market. this was a former m&s unit which closed in august last year. it's been vacant since their departure. it's not a good sign, is it, if a big retailer like m&s is going, "it's just not working"? that's got to be disheartening. it's absolutely disheartening. it's frustrating. it's one in a long line of retailers who are consolidating right across the uk and we are victims of that. and we've got to step in and look at different uses for our town centres. i can see another vacancy up there. but debenhams ahead of us. debenhams have announced that stockton will be one of many towns where their stores will close and that leaves a very large retail store with a problem not only for its owners but also us as the council. this week debenhams is closing 19 of the 50 shops it plans to shut in the next few years. it's part of what the company

describes as a ?restructure‘. this one will close in a couple of days‘ time. as soon as you walk into the high street you see debenhams. we're just going to have an empty shop welcoming us! it employs a lot of people for this area, especially with the unemployment in this area being really high. it will be a big loss. every year i used to go and get the same christmas present, the same perfume from debenhams for my mum. sorry, every year you get your mum the same present? ever think it's time for a change? she likes it, she knows it's my present! these local teenagers have already seen big changes. maybe a few years ago there was more to do, a lot more shops were open, where now i tend to go elsewhere. i haven't been down the high street in a couple of months. why? it doesn't appeal to me. i do tend to use it for, like, the music scene but that's generally all i really use it for.

stockton has a reputation for being ahead of the curve in rejuvenating its town centre, with the council planning and investing in change. investment in our town centre started with the public realm and this central fountains area. we've created what we describe as a large outdoor room so that we've got places for performers and our large sporting events that we have right throughout the year here in stockton. it's about creating that footfall. so, the more people that we've got living in town, working in town and coming and experiencing the fantastic events program that we've got, then, they're going to use the retail. so, how much have you spent on the town centre? well, over recent years, particularly since 2010, ii, we've spent £38 million. and their plans don't end there... this is a very big site, built in the 19705, and it provides a bit of a barrier to the river.

stockton is on the short list for a share of a £1 billion pot the government has committed to spend, helping town's realize plans for their high streets. we're investing in buildings that we can take control of. we recognise that retail is a changing market. it needs to contract to be fit for purpose for our town. they're looking at different development options. the council says what matters most is that by owning these sites they'll be able to lead on regeneration of the area. we started a conversation with our residents about what they want to see for the future of their town. do they want to see more leisure based facilities, more open space, more housing, more commercial development to help with part of the town centre's redevelopment? the truth is, high streets have always had to adapt and change,

responding to the shifting demands of their communities. it's always good to look at maps like this cos you've got the history of town centre and retail change in one place. professor cathy parker is one of the leaders of the high streets task force, set up by the government last year, to support the transformation of town centres. she's an expert on the history of retail. if you were going to go out and buy an outfit then you'd be buying your gloves in one shop, and your dress in another and petticoats in another, so yes, far, far more specialised. but high streets were never just about shops. they were also social hubs, bustling centres for communities to live, work and play together. retail has only ever been a part of the functions of a town and city. perhaps, especially in the last century, the 1980s and '90s, we got a little bit fixated on retail, and we thought

that the whole town and the whole city was all about retail. and as we became more fixated, so high streets started to lose their individuality. many once—distinctive town centres became home to the same set of chain stores. a lot of our prime space in our town and city centres has been filled up by very boring retail, actually. but with some chains going out of business, and others re—structuring, there's an inevitable impact on high streets. last year nearly 6,000 chain stores closed their doors for the last time. that space is now an opportunity for other types of retail, that's really what people want, they want things a little bit more exciting and new. so, what about the future, then? i think places need to understand their function and the things that do draw people in to the town centre, some still have a very important retail function, some are much more about an experience, so they're a mixture of heritage and culture.

some places are just much more sort of everyday, they're multifunctional. then we have another category which is the sort of holiday town. southend—on—sea — it's been a holiday destination for east end day trippers for generations and still attracts millions of visitors a year. now, its challenge is to make its high street more of a draw for locals and visitor alike. # ground floor for perfumery, stationery and leather goods... two of my wedding presents came from this shop. i was asked to pick out something i wanted and i picked a set of cutlery and a dinner service. there was a glass cabinet there and i bought a little lady from that glass cabinet all them years ago — it was lovely. us old ones, we like going to have a cup of tea and a look around the shops. don't know what we are going to do when they close them all. this is havens on hamlet court road in the suburb of westcliff—on—sea.

up here is my great grandfather, rawlings.... this is my grandfather on his motorbike there, and this is my father. nigel‘s great—grandfather first opened a shop on this street more than 100 years ago. what was it like here then? it was fantastic. families would on saturdays come out and go on a shopping expedition. they would stay in areas like this and not only use the shops, but the cafes and restaurants. they'd get dressed up for it, as well, so it was a pretty good, grand day out. havens started out selling china and fancy glassware. when i came in, we put in a stationery department on the ground floor and a perfumery department, and then in latter days we put in ladies fashion that worked for about three months and then we started to see that become

increasingly challenging. so, we moved out of that and then back into more housewares in that area. nigel and his family saw the writing on the wall and shut up the bricks and mortar shop in 2018. there comes a point when you think, "you know what? "we've got to make changes, even more serious changes than we've made." and so that's when you end up doing what we've done, which is to cut yourself from the retail side of it, and just purely trade online. they now run that online business from the top floor of the building. and the allure of internet shopping continues to be felt around the country but it still only accounts for about 20% of total sales. the problem for high streets like this is that it seems we have decided to do much of our shopping out of town centres. so, we might bemoan about the decline of the high street,

but it's happening because we choose not to shop here. in december, the number of people visiting our high streets, known in the trade as footfall, fell by 3.5% compared to the year before. it's a trend that has marked the last decade. since 2009, footfall has fallen by just over 20%. havens is just one of the many shops to have closed in this suburban high street. there'll be a cafe here. and all the tables will come out here. so this is where they used to sell jewellery and makeup and smellys and that type of thing. so, it's going to be totally transformed. local charity chief, lin boulter, has taken over most of the building with plans for a service hub that she hopes will help cover the cost of the rent. you'll come to this end of haven, we've got our first, for feet, a podiatrist here, public health doing flu jabs and smoking cessation, we've got a kitchen that is going to be serving the cafe. toilet block, very important.

and in here we've been working with a local day care provider and we're going to have a day centre that's going to be available for up to 15 people a day. lin‘s hope, for this place to be buzzing by the end of january, is going to take a lot of doing. just down the road on southend's main high street, i'm meeting cathy parker again. this is the entrance to the high street. what do you make of it? well, i only know it's the entrance cos quite a few people are walking up that way. there's nothing to tell me this is the grand entrance to southend—on—sea. this really should be welcoming people and attracting people and drawing people in and it actually is just the back of some very ugly retail units. this is a high street facing challenges typical of many others around the country. so we've come into this space. it's opened up, certainly. what do you make of this

bit of the development? um, well, i think it's very much of its time. i suppose it's anchored here by a shopping centre and we've got some newer retail over this side of the public space here, but itjust looks a bit sad. i know the council is thinking of encouraging sort of food and beverage into this area, market stalls selling food. goodidea? that's definitely a good idea — the regeneration of a lot of town centres now is coming from more temporary usage. things like food markets, farmers markets, small festivals. the council is now investing in a major overhaul of the public spaces around here, part of wider plans to draw people and business back in. the council would like to see a rich and evolving town centre, so it's not about setting a static vision but one that is dynamic. so, that might be more residential, certainly looking above existing retail units,

but also thinking maybe about theming areas of the high street, around residential or cultural leisure activities, orfood and drinks, digital even. building on southend's heritage, they want to reduce the amount of space given to shops and create a mix of offerings on the high street. just a short walk from here, it has plans to transform areas it owns, creating new homes and better connections to the high street. and another for a privately—funded all—weather leisure scheme including a cinema, restaurants and a hotel. hi... entrepreneurjohn timpson chaired an expert panel tasked with advising the government on what can be done to help high streets like this to thrive. it seemed pretty obvious to me that we've got more shop premises than we need. so, why not change them into houses because we haven't got enough houses? put more people back in, that gives a bit more life.

but also put back in there what people need to do, they want to do, like to do with leisure, to do with medical services, libraries, all the things which will make sure that people not only go into the town, but actually meet other people. right. because my worry was that we're losing that sense of community and, actually, human beings need human contact. and many people are putting ideas like this into practice. james hampton is an architect whose firm works with councils to rejuvenate town centres. tell me what you think the philosophy for a good high street — how it should work. we came up with these four key design themes. resilience is the idea of flexibility and adaptability, so in the design of the high street, you allow for different uses over time, things can flex and change. local—ness is about the idea

that whatever you do in the ideal high street, it has to come from the local area. it has to be specific to the local people and local needs. connectivity is critical, in a high street people can get there, but can get there easily, through walking, cycling and public transport. the idea of greening — that the high street should be a place of health and wellbeing, and greenery is a way to do that. it also helps to, you know, improve air quality, and creates places that people want to be. you're going to show me what the elements are that go into the ideal high street, are you? right, let's get building. start off with an anchor building at one end of the high street, something like an art gallery, a community theatre, for example. something to attract visitors in. that's right. and as you move along the high street, there will be buildings that have work space or retail on the ground floor, and probably

residential uses above. and somewhere in the centre of the high street is a key public space. so will be a flexible public space. it could be a market or an event space or a performance space. somewhere where people can come and gather outside. crucial to have greenery. they might be local parks that can connect to the high street. but you can also have smaller parks, actually on the high street. and thenjust continuing the high street with retail units at the ground floor, and then more residential above. the perfect high street. it was easy. well, 0k. of course it's not that easy when it comes to the real world. there may be some agreement that change should happen. it's less clear who should create it. some local authorities are choosing to take the lead, but that can come at a cost. in the last three years, £775 million has been spent by councils buying up shopping centres. in some cases, borrowing money to do it. so, is buying up properties the right thing to do?

i think each location needs to make their own choices and decisions on that. some authorities clearly have. they feel that's the right thing, to be able to have ownership. there's no doubt that, if you own something, it is far easier to regenerate it and do what you want to, than if it's owned by a third party. so, i think it's a case of horses for courses. councils are stepping in and buying properties to redevelop them themselves. are you not worried that it's placing councils at some risk, with public money? well, there is always risk when you run a council, and you have to do a risk assessment on whatever decision it is that you're making. back in stockton, i'm getting my steel—capped boots and hard hat on. this is the newjewel in the crown of our town centre. the council is renovating the town's art deco theatre, the globe. the plan was to put £1

million of public money into the building work. but now the project has been revamped, and it's set to cost them more than £22 million — nearly £19 million of that borrowed. how does this fit in to your strategy of revitalising the town centre? it's part of our diversification strategy. town centre's not just about retail, but about evening economy, leisure offer. and this sits right at the heart of what we're trying to achieve, to bring new people into town for different reasons. i mean, it is a huge gamble. it's a lot of money on the hope that people will come. we're very confident in that. there is a strong market for venues of this size, not only for audiences to come, but the acts that want to play here. i am available for the opening night, if you need a performance. perhaps a double act! the new ant and dec? indeed. the better looking new ant and dec.

absolutely. the council says the globe could attract 200,000 visitors a year, generating £18 million for the local economy. as part of its regeneration effort, the council also runs this enterprise arcade. it's meant to help grow retail businesses. they hope some will set up shop on the high street and prepare them for the risks that entails. how do you like your tea? do you like it weak, in the middle, or strong? karen runs a small cafe here. after five years building the business, she'sjoined by her mentor as she looks for somewhere more permanent. you'll see it's split into two different parts. oh, wow, yep. perfect kitchen this, karen. i'd probably want the sink further back, right over there. and then the rent? what i'd hope is we can do something around about £1,000 a month on this shop, so that's £12,000 a year. right, 0k. £1,000 for the rent, that's the rent, and then you've got

to pay the rates, and then you've got to pay the service charges. and rates are a big issue for those on the high street. councils don't set the rates, but they do collect them. half goes to the government, and they keep the rest. but they can offer discounts. will i be allowed an oven? of course you will. it's your shop, you can have what you want. a real oven, imagine that. even factoring in the discounts she's entitled to, karen would have to pay around £7,000 a year in rates for this space and almost £2,500 more for the service charge. that's massive, isn't it? that's a lot of money, that's a lot of money. i can see us fitting into this position, and making it something, you know, it'sjust getting it to the right price. the reason we're seeing a lot of retailers go out of business is because their their rates

are very high. so, if you had boris on the phone, your plea to him on business rates would be what? that we need a thorough review of business rates. if retailers are going to thrive on the high street, they need lower business rates. and we need a review, which will ultimately lead to online retailers and physical retailers having a level playing field. the government has announced a review, but not when it will happen, or exactly what it will look at. what it has committed to is cutting the rates bill for small retail businesses, by increasing their discount from one third to a half. but that won't be enough to answer all the challenges our high streets face. i'm standing between two iconic brands — john lewis and debenhams. thisjohn lewis has already closed, and this debenhams is scheduled for closure. the new owners of what was thejohn lewis building have grand designs for its future,

and shopping doesn't get much of a look in. thank you very much. quite a site. yes, very different to how it would have been before the store closed. this'll be the heart of the building. so central reception here, where one can check in for hotel, check in for office use, buy coffee. all around the outside will be retail units, florists, vinyl, barbers, etc. ok, so first floor, adam. at the front, all the way along, facing the high street, we have private offices for our work space members. this multimillion—pound project will see the building transformed, with office space for co—working, a bike workshop, pop—up stores, a hotel, a cinema, and more. now, what makes you think this is going to work? we look at a breakdown of the city, the population. 350,000 people live in portsmouth.

the university — very large university here, growing, cosmopolitan. we have good corporate base in the city, so larger companies where smaller companies can feed off and work with. we need a very good micro location, where people want to work, where you want to come and work because there's shops, bars, restaurants around, close to the sea, go for a run at lunchtime. all of that thrown together. this ticks every box. ok, on the roof, our new bar, rooftop bar, with terrace, studio space, fitness. i mean, this mixed—use sort of development, do you think that is the future for the high street? the more different uses you can find, gives you more options. more chances to create value. the sum of what you put together is greater than the sum of the parts. how long 'til i can actually get a drink up here? i'd very much hope by the autumn.

i'll see you there. well, i've waited longer in pubs, but i'll look forward to it. good for you. not bad. back in southend, new attractions are popping up in what were once shops, and they're helping to draw a new crowd into town. this is kind of like the start of your experience. it will feed through, and at the end you'll go into the restaurant. we are crazy golf, but we combine it with food, we combine it with beverages. so it's an interesting hybrid of three very distinctive businesses that we've kind ofjust spliced together. caddy says around 120,000 visitors came through their doors in theirfirst year. why we've survived 18 months and hopefully will survive three years is that it is a hybrid. people come and have a drink and a game of golf, it goes hand—in—hand. what works is all three together ?

if we took any of those away, we probably would have closed down by now. people that are travelling outside of southend very much come to us as a destination, but will then do a bit of shopping and vice versa. if everyone spent £5 a month on their high street, and i think communities coming back and just spending that extra money, even just £5 a month, would see their high street change drastically. whilst the crazy golf on the high street is attracting a younger crowd, a few miles down the road at the haven... ..they seem to be doing well with a slightly more mature market. there are activities such as tai—chi, snooker, and darts that are happening all the time. the classes — keep fit, like over here now, we have stroller size, we have yoga. downstairs, the renovation is complete.

they're loving the cafe. we have a day centre that's actually working with people who are paying for our services. we have social services, we've got our hairdressers. we would hope, with all the services up and running, with the day centre working, we're talking anything between 500—1,000 a day, which when you think, and nigel i think would agree with me, that he used to maybe have five or ten sometimes a day. that has to increase the footfall, that has to regenerate the area because those people will then go into the bakers and the shops and buy. nigel‘s father, graham, who ran the family business here for years, has come to see how it's changed. so, here we are. yes, a little tea/coffee shop. used to be the perfumery department over there, do you remember? it's nice to see the building being put to good use. and bringing the local community together, where they can enjoy the autumn of their lives.

it's always been about people. you don't have a business without people. i reckon, by the end ofjanuary, all of this will be buzzing. we will regenerate this area.

this is bbc news — welcome if you're watching here in the uk, on pbs in america or around the globe. i'm mike embley. our top stories: britain, france and germany trigger a formal dispute process over iran's violations of the international nuclear deal. translation: we believe it makes sense to save this nuclear deal for the future because it prevents iran from getting a nuclear bomb. the impeachment charges against president trump — will be sent to the senate on wednesday. a trial could start within days. after her resounding election victory, taiwan's president tsai ing—wen tells the bbc china needs to face reality. a very strong message

from the people of taiwan.