Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim made a rare and symbolic visit to Belgium on Friday, delivering a speech at the European Parliament in Brussels in a move that underscores Taipei’s growing diplomatic outreach to Europe despite strong opposition from Beijing.
Hsiao addressed lawmakers at the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), an international coalition of legislators concerned about Beijing’s global influence and human rights record.
Her visit marks one of the highest-level trips to Europe by a Taiwanese official in recent years, as most countries avoid formal engagement with Taipei to sidestep Chinese retaliation.
“Europe has defended freedom under fire. And Taiwan has defended democracy under pressure,” Hsiao told the gathering, according to the alliance. “I stand here as a voice for a society deeply committed to the ideals that animate the parliaments of democracy around the world.”
Hsiao, a fluent English speaker and Taiwan’s former de facto ambassador to the United States, was accompanied by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung.
She stressed that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential to global prosperity, adding that “despite being excluded from international organisations, Taiwan has stepped up. We contribute to humanitarian aid and uphold global standards even when we are not allowed a seat at the table.”
China reacted sharply to the visit. Its mission to the European Union said on Saturday that Hsiao’s presence “gravely violates the one-China principle, constitutes serious interference in China’s internal affairs, and severely undermines political mutual trust between China and the EU.”
Beijing regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan’s government, however, insists that only the island’s 23 million people can determine their future and rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
While the Vatican remains Taiwan’s only formal diplomatic partner in Europe, countries including France, Britain, Lithuania, and Poland have increasingly hosted current or former Taiwanese leaders, ignoring Chinese protests.
The visit comes amid a flurry of Taiwan’s diplomatic engagements with Europe. Former President Tsai Ing-wen is set to visit Berlin next week for a conference, while Foreign Minister Lin recently toured Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Italy.
Lin said his ministry has established a Europe task force to deepen cooperation with the region.
Analysts view Hsiao’s Brussels speech as another sign of Taiwan’s growing confidence on the global stage, and Europe’s shifting willingness to engage with Taipei despite Beijing’s mounting pressure.
Source: Reuters
Written By Rodney Mbua
