Taiwan sees Ukraine as an example of a country aiming to defend itself from a military invasion carried out by a hostile and authoritarian neighbor.
Kyiv’s self-defense against Russian attacks illustrates what democracy and freedom mean to a country that needs to fight to preserve them.
Taiwan has formally labeled China as a “foreign hostile force,” thus setting up new national measures to confront every type of pressure exercised by Bejing.
In this regard, deepening ties with Ukraine could prove beneficial to boost Taipei’s security infrastructure with the necessary expertise to deal with Chinese threats.
Moreover, the Taiwan-Ukraine partnership is also values-oriented, as the two countries are pursuing a consistent and uniform foreign policy focused on promoting democracy, human rights and compliance with international law.
As Ukraine struggles to rebuild after three years of a devastating war, Taipei is looking at joining other allies, in particular from eastern Europe, in cooperative projects aimed at delivering practical support to Ukrainians.
In this regard, Taiwan formed a partnership with Estonia to finance the construction of a home for displaced families in Ukraine’s Zhytomyr Oblast. As Representative to Latvia Andrew Lee (李憲章) said during the opening ceremony of the agreement, the “Family-type house in Ukraine” is the second joint project specifically designed for children orphaned by the war.
This signals Taiwan’s commitment to working with like-minded countries to foster Ukraine’s economic and social transformation and strengthen the nation’s resilience in difficult times.
Another important partner to cooperate with in assisting Ukraine is Lithuania, one of Taiwan’s closest European allies. Taipei cofinanced the reconstruction of a kindergarten in Borodyanka, a town near Kyiv. It was the first project implemented under the Taiwan-Lithuania joint project, marked by Taiwan’s US$5 million donation, for reconstruction initiatives in Ukraine.
“Taiwan believes that Ukrainian children should not be deprived of their right to education because of an invasion by an authoritarian nation,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Earlier this month, Representative to the UK Vincent Yao (姚金祥) signed an agreement with European Bank for Reconstruction and Development official Nadia Petkova to assist Ukraine in improving its labor environment.
As Ukraine is struggling with the disrupting effects to the labor market caused by Russia’s invasion, Taipei’s support could prove beneficial to working conditions and improve workplace environments.
This is another illustration of Taiwan’s willingness to stand as a true ally in critical times. Ukraine’s path to reconstruction, fraught with obstacles and complicated by the ones that should facilitate it, is the point from which the “rebirth of Ukraine” must start. It is where allies should demonstrate their reliability.
Taiwan is increasingly seen as a true partner by Ukrainians, as evidenced by the outcomes of a conference on aid to Ukraine in November last year, when a representative of the Chernihiv Oblast for the Association of Ukrainian Cities underscored that Taiwan’s “efforts have helped thousands of children in the region attend school normally, despite the threats of missiles.”
As for official ties, Andriy Sadovyi in December last year became the first Ukrainian mayor to visit Taiwan. In Taipei, he held a series of meetings with local government officials and businesses to enhance bilateral relations. The mayor of Lviv thanked Taiwan for funding the renovation of a medical building providing post-surgery rehabilitation services in his city, announcing that, once completed, it would be named the “Taiwan Friendship Building.”
The outcomes of that visit signaled both parties’ willingness to deepen their partnership to attain beneficial gains. Taiwan is proving, through humanitarian assistance and ideological support, to be a reliable ally. Ukraine could exploit this opportunity to develop a strategic relationship aimed at promoting a values-oriented international environment conducive to the respect of international law.
Michele Maresca is an analyst at Il Caffe Geopolitico, an online international law journal, and the think tank Geopol21.
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