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.
On Monday, the day before Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) departed on her visit to China, the party released a promotional video titled “Only with peace can we ‘lie flat’” to highlight its desire to have peace across the Taiwan Strait. However, its use of the expression “lie flat” (tang ping, 躺平) drew sarcastic comments, with critics saying it sounded as if the party was “bowing down” to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Amid the controversy over the opposition parties blocking proposed defense budgets, Cheng departed for China after receiving an invitation from the CCP, with a meeting with
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) is leading a delegation to China through Sunday. She is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) in Beijing tomorrow. That date coincides with the anniversary of the signing of the Taiwan Relations Act (TRA), which marked a cornerstone of Taiwan-US relations. Staging their meeting on this date makes it clear that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) intends to challenge the US and demonstrate its “authority” over Taiwan. Since the US severed official diplomatic relations with Taiwan in 1979, it has relied on the TRA as a legal basis for all
Taiwan ranks second globally in terms of share of population with a higher-education degree, with about 60 percent of Taiwanese holding a post-secondary or graduate degree, a survey by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development showed. The findings are consistent with Ministry of the Interior data, which showed that as of the end of last year, 10.602 million Taiwanese had completed post-secondary education or higher. Among them, the number of women with graduate degrees was 786,000, an increase of 48.1 percent over the past decade and a faster rate of growth than among men. A highly educated population brings clear advantages.
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) yesterday departed for China — with a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) expected — but an unexpected development has begun to reshape the conversation in Taipei. Reports indicate that, following confirmation of the visit, the KMT signaled to Washington a greater willingness to support increased defense spending. At first glance, the shift appears reassuring. After months of blocking the government’s proposed military budget, the opposition now seems open to adjustment. Yet the timing of the change raises a more fundamental question: What exactly is being signaled — and to whom? Rather than resolving
RSS