A senior EU official has reaffirmed the 15-state bloc's commitment to opening a representative office in Taipei by the end of this year, a visiting Taiwanese legislator said Thursday.
"Chris Patten, the EU's commissioner for external affairs, has clearly told us that the European Union hopes to set up a representative office in Taipei late this year," DPP Legislator Parris Chang (張旭成) said after a courtesy call on Patten.
Patten's reaffirmation came shortly after the European Parliament passed a pro-Taiwan resolution recognizing Taiwan's success in democratization and urging China to dismantle hundreds of ballistic missiles deployed against Taiwan along its southeast coast.
Noting that all these developments mark progress in substantive Taiwan-European relations, Chang said the opening of an EU office in Taipei will facilitate dialogue and cooperation between Taiwan and major European countries.
Chang and four other legislators from the Taiwan-EU Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association arrived in Geneva from Strasbourg where they witnessed the debate in the European Parliament on the pro-Taiwan resolution.
The resolution, which calls for strengthening the strategic partnership between Asia and Europe, also urges EU member states to grant visas to senior Taiwan officials, including the president, to enable them to make private visits.
Moreover, the resolution asks EU countries to sign free trade agreements with Taiwan and to support its bid to join the WHO and the Euro-Asian Meeting.
Chang said it is of great significance for the European Parliament to pass the resolution before this year's Euro-Asian Meeting opens in Copenhagen Sept. 24. He said although the passage of the resolution may prompt Beijing to take action against Taiwan at the upcoming conference, the EU's pro-Taiwan stance will not be affected.
During their five-day stay in Geneva, Chang said, he and his colleagues will visit the headquarters of the WTO and the International Parliamentary Alliance.
"During our meeting with WTO officials, we'll push them to urge Beijing to settle bilateral trade disputes under the WTO framework," Chang said.
The group will also inspect operations of the Taiwan's representative office in Switzerland and its WTO mission before ending their trip.
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