Taipei Times: Since Chen Shui-bian came into office, his administration has emphasized that Taiwan should strengthen its ties with the EU. But given the complex nature of the EU, to what extent do you think Taiwan can indeed strengthen relations?
Michael Yahuda: I think there are many ways in which you can do so. One is to strengthen the existing pattern that involves the European Parliament, which is very sympathetic to Taiwan. I think also extending relations with the various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Europe is also important because these tend to put a lot of emphasis on the democratization that has taken place here (in Taiwan).
Cultivating relations with the human rights organizations, strengthening educational exchanges, strengthening relations among the parties ... all these things will help a great deal.
Seeking to have more visits of ministers and ex-ministers is also important. And even if some of these have to be unofficial, nonetheless the move can ensure that the Taiwanese voice is heard and that Taiwan is still in the European consciousness.
After all, the EU at the moment is very much involved in its domestic problems because they are seeking to enlarge the EU and, as a result, they are having also to reform their existing arrangements among themselves so that there is always danger that Asia seems a long way away. I think the current policy (under Chen) makes a lot of sense.
TT: Although the European Parliament has expressed rather sympathetic views towards Taiwan, the parliament itself is a very limited entity under the big umbrella of the EU. So to what extent do you think the European Parliament's support for Taiwan can be transferred into greater political influence on the EU itself with regard to strengthening the EU's ties with Taiwan?
Yahuda: The EU has to make a decision fairly soon about establishing its representative office here in Taipei. So that's one issue where I think pressure from within may help.
But beyond that, it's a question not only related to Brussels. Taiwan also has to make sure that attention is paid to Taiwan in the various capitals in Europe, including London, Paris, Rome, Berlin and other capitals, too. I think there is always room for more development especially in the post Cold War situations in which the agenda has developed a great deal. Issues concerning safety in the sea, issues concerning international crime, health, migration, many areas of this sort are simply not conducted by governments alone.
So in that regard, the more active Taiwan can be, the more people would get used to Taiwan as playing a normal part in the international community rather than thinking all the time of Taiwan as a problem.
TT: After Foreign Minister Tien Hung-mao (田弘茂) returned from his visit to some EU countries, he claimed that the EU would consider setting up its representative office in Taipei after both China and Taiwan enter the WTO. What's the EU's position on this issue?
Yahuda: The position is that we accepted the Chinese view that first China must go in, and then Taiwan will come in. There were some suggestions at one point that the Chinese authorities may seek to make it more difficult for Taiwan to follow China in entering the WTO, but I think they found that the reaction ... was adverse.
Again, I think it's important to ensure that the Europeans continue to stand by what they claimed before, because after all there were already agreements between the EU and Taiwan about the terms of its accession.
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