Photo: Presidential Office Building, Taipei by Olimpia Kot
What is happening?
On November 7, Taiwan’s Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao (蕭美琴) delivered an unprecedented address at the European Parliament during the summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), a coalition of legislators focused on the global challenges posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). One day after Hsiao’s return from Brussels, former Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) arrived in Germany, where she delivered a keynote speech at the Berlin Freedom Conference. The visits of Vice President Hsiao and former President Tsai to Europe, alongside Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung’s (林佳龍) September trips to several European countries, including Austria, the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, and Poland, signal a new phase in Taiwan-Europe relations. These high-level engagements underscore Taiwan’s strategic emphasis on strengthening ties with like-minded European countries and deepening its broader relationship with the European Union.
What is the broader picture?
In her speech at the European Parliament, Hsiao advocated for sustained support for Taiwan as well as the broader promotion of democratic governance worldwide. Her messaging emphasized the importance of democratic solidarity, the establishment of trusted supply chains, and cooperation in technology and security sectors including AI and semiconductors while highlighting the necessity of coordinated responses among democracies to counter coercive pressures from the PRC.
Former President Tsai Ing‑wen addressed civil society leaders, democracy advocates, and representatives of international think tanks to highlight Taiwan’s democratic trajectory and the growing global threats to democracies, including authoritarian spillover, military aggression, and AI-driven disinformation. She emphasized Taiwan’s resilience built through defense investments, asymmetric capabilities, cybersecurity, and whole-of-society preparedness as a model for other democracies. Former president also stressed Taiwan’s key role in global supply chains, particularly semiconductors, calling for coordinated democratic action to safeguard stability in strategic technological sectors.
In response to Hsiao’s visit, China’s Mission to the EU lodged strong protests, falsely asserting that Taiwan-related matters were a key issue for the PRC’s sovereignty. The mission accused the European Parliament of contravening the “One-China Principle” and interfering in China’s internal affairs despite Beijing’s explicit objections.
Why does it matter?
Vice President Hsiao’s address on the premises of the European Parliament and former President Tsai’s Berlin intervention illustrate Taiwan’s coordinated, dual-track approach to European engagement, combining parliamentary diplomacy with outreach to civil society networks to position Taiwan as a like-minded partner across Europe. These visits underscore Europe’s centrality in Taiwan’s strategy to diversify its diplomatic, economic, social, and cultural relationships, while European actors are increasingly signaling that informal engagement with Taiwan fits within the bounds of their respective one-China policies. While Beijing—long regarded as both a partner, competitor, and a systemic rival—is not explicitly framed as a threat in the same way as Moscow, European policymakers are placing growing emphasis on the implications of Chinese actions for security and democratic resilience, both at the EU-27 level and within individual member states. Collectively, these developments indicate a gradual recalibration of European engagement and policy consideration regarding Taiwan.