Taiwan and Spain should sign a mutual legal-assistance treaty to help curb international crime, Vice President Chen Chien-jen (陳建仁) said yesterday as he received members from the Spanish Congress of Deputies at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei.
Chen congratulated the delegation on Spain’s Nov. 10 elections and thanked the lawmakers for visiting Taiwan so soon afterward.
Cross-border crime is increasing, Chen said, citing as an example a case from three years ago in which a telecom fraud ring allegedly run by Taiwanese was shut down.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
It was unfortunate that the Spanish government extradited 221 Taiwanese suspects to China, where judicial proceedings and human rights are a concern, he said.
The government regrets that decision, as China’s legal system poses risks to the welfare and rights of Taiwanese, he said.
To avoid this, Taiwan hopes to sign an accord with Madrid, Chen said, adding that hopefully, the Spanish lawmakers would support such an agreement.
Parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and Spain play a major role in facilitating cooperation in all areas, he said.
Taipei hopes that the four senior lawmakers in the delegation would promote the proposal, which would benefit both nations and lower international crime, he said.
The delegation has members with backgrounds in trade and economics, finance, criminal justice and technology, so the government looks forward to in-depth discussions and exchanges of opinion throughout their visit, he said.
The delegation, led by People’s Party commission coordinator Ruben Moreno, who also led a delegation to Taiwan in July last year, is an indicator of how strong the bond is between the two nation’s legislatures, Chen said.
Chen thanked the delegation for speaking up for Taiwan and supporting the nation’s participation in international organizations, such as the World Health Assembly, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
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