Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim addressed lawmakers at the European Parliament on Friday, a move likely to prompt criticism from Beijing, which claims the island as its territory.
Hsiao spoke in Brussels at the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), accompanied by Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, in a gathering of lawmakers from across several continents.
“Europe has defended freedom under fire. And Taiwan has defended democracy under pressure,” Hsiao said.
The visit was kept undisclosed until shortly before her arrival at the Parliament. China is expected to react strongly, as it routinely protests foreign political contacts with Taipei. Taiwan maintains official diplomatic ties with 11 UN member states and the Holy See.
A former envoy to Washington, Hsiao said Taiwan “matters to the world” because of its democracy, its role in global supply chains, and its contributions to international public health. She added that stability in the Taiwan Strait is “a cornerstone of global prosperity”.
The strait is a key shipping corridor in the Indo-Pacific, with around half of global container traffic passing through its waters, and Beijing has increased military pressure in the region in recent years.
Taiwan accounts for more than 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and nearly half of less sophisticated chips, making it a key player in the global technology supply chain.
IPAC’s EU co-chairs Miriam Lexmann (EPP) and Bernard Guetta (Renew) invited Hsiao to speak and have pushed for closer cooperation with Taipei on democratic resilience and technology security.
Lexmann said the European Parliament has “consistently argued for more dialogue with Taiwan,” arguing that the island’s 23 million people should not be excluded from global discussions at a time of heightened geopolitical strain.
The address comes as the EU continues to redefine its relationship with China, which the EU Commission maintains that China is simultaneously a partner, competitor and systemic rival.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has promoted a “de-risking” strategy aimed at reducing Europe’s strategic dependencies in sectors such as semiconductors, critical minerals and clean technologies.
Earlier this year, she said that “de-risking but not decoupling” from China must “speed up,” in a speech setting out the EU’s strategic approach to Beijing.
The EU has also reiterated that engagement with Taiwan remains compatible with its One China policy, most recently in a European Parliament resolution in January 2024.
(aw)
