Europe is beginning to raise its profile in Taiwan’s defence market, long dominated by the United States, as countries take cautious steps to support the island against an increasingly assertive China.
At last week’s Taipei Aerospace and Defence Technology Exhibition, European companies and officials were more visible than in past years.
Taiwan’s Defence Minister Wellington Koo toured the Czech pavilion, where he was welcomed by Pavel Fischer, chairman of the Czech Senate’s Foreign Affairs, Defence and Security Committee.
“Today in Taiwan we have many partners to work with,” Fischer told Reuters, stressing that Europe understood the challenges Taiwan faces from Beijing.
For the first time, the German Trade Office Taipei participated in the show, highlighting aerospace and security technologies. Airbus also made its debut, displaying a Flexrotor surveillance drone marked with a sticker that read, “I ♥ Taiwan.” The company said its stand promoted a range of products beyond commercial aircraft, including helicopters for rescue and law enforcement as well as secure communications.
While most European states have avoided major arms deals with Taiwan for decades, wary of Chinese retaliation, attitudes are shifting, especially in central and eastern Europe since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung this month visited Prague, Rome, and Vienna, underscoring Taipei’s growing outreach.
Historically, Europe has played a limited role in arming Taiwan. The Netherlands sold two submarines in the 1980s and France provided six frigates and 60 Mirage jets in the early 1990s, but no major deals have followed. Britain, however, is assisting with Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine program.
By contrast, U.S. firms such as Lockheed Martin, maker of Taiwan’s F-16 fighter jets, remain dominant. Yet defence executives note the climate is changing. “There is much less caution now.
The world has changed because of Ukraine,” said an executive at a Taiwanese drone manufacturer working with European partners, who requested anonymity for security reasons.
The expanded European presence signals a slow but notable shift as Taiwan looks to diversify its security partnerships while facing mounting military pressure from Beijing.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
