Photo: Olimpia Kot
In the week of October 21, 2025, EVC Taiwan Office hosted a delegation of European think tank leaders, organized by the Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik—the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, in collaboration with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of China (Taiwan). This annual delegation provides a unique platform for strengthening the understanding of current cross-strait dynamics within the European expert community. EVC Taiwan Office engaged with the delegation for the second consecutive year.
On October 22, EVC Taiwan Office coordinated a visit of the delegation members to the Legislative Yuan, where they were hosted by members of the Kuomintang (KMT) caucus. Three KMT legislators—Chiao-Hsin Hsu (徐巧芯), Hsu-Ting Niu (牛煦庭), and Mong-Kai Hung(洪孟楷)—engaged the visiting experts in a productive discussion about their party’s new leadership, the outlook on defense spending, and the current state of Taiwan-Europe relations. To this end, EVC Taiwan Office cemented its reputation as a reliable bridge-builderbetween European experts and Taiwanese stakeholders from across the political spectrum.
On October 24, members of the delegation participated in a roundtable at the Czech Hub in Taiwan, focusing on present challenges to human rights governance in Taiwan. Specific issues of concern included Taiwan’s status as a retentionist country, LGBTQI+ inclusion with a special focus on rights of transgender people and the situation of queer people in the workplace, rights of migrant workers, and legal protections for New Immigrants, including spouses of Taiwanese citizens from the People’s Republic of China. We appreciate the contributions of our partners from Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, Serve the People Association, Taiwan Foundation for Democracy, and Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association to this critical conversation and operationalizing “like-mindedness” in Taiwan-Europe ties.