Italy’s relationship with Taiwan continues to deepen, as shown by the recent visit of an Italian parliamentary delegation to the nation. The encounter forms part of a broader effort by Italian lawmakers to demonstrate their commitment to Taiwan’s democratic aspirations and global inclusion.
Italy has taken concrete steps to deepen its engagement with Taiwan. Earlier this month, the Italian parliament passed a resolution supporting Taiwan’s inclusion in international organizations, with particular emphasis on the WHO, where Taiwan’s absence remains a critical gap, despite the nation’s capacity to contribute meaningfully to global health.
Last year, the Italian Navy conducted joint submarine exercises with the USS Russell in the South China Sea, laying the foundation for a more active role in safeguarding stability and security in a region central to Italy’s strategic interests and democratic values.
It was precisely this theme that emerged during the meeting between Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and the visiting Italian delegation, in which both sides expressed a shared desire to deepen their relationship.
That intent found tangible expression in the size of the delegation itself — the largest ever sent by Italy to Taiwan. Rome’s willingness to extend a hand to Taipei is a meaningful gesture that might well shape the future contours of their bilateral partnership.
Lin’s remarks to the Italian delegation reflected Taiwan’s strategic interest in institutionalizing freedom of navigation exercises in the Taiwan Strait — a concept tied to Italy’s prior participation in joint patrols in the South China Sea.
These operations would not only signal Italy’s peaceful intent, but also reinforce its role in promoting maritime security and regional stability, Lin said.
Such a step would contribute meaningfully to the broader coalition of democratic actors committed to safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty and navigational rights, he added.
The proposal aligns with Italy’s pledge to expand its presence in the Indo-Pacific region, a scenario not publicly confirmed by the Italian government, but likely conveyed informally during bilateral meetings between Taiwanese and Italian political representatives.
Should Italy join freedom of navigation exercises in the Taiwan Strait, it would demonstrate a concrete commitment to regional stability, aligning itself with Western partners such as France and, more decisively, Germany.
German warships’ transit of the Strait in September last year was the German Navy’s first such operation in more than two decades.
The maneuver was intended as a “clear and strong signal” in defense of navigational freedoms and the rules-based international order, German security sources said.
As for relations with Rome, Taiwan is deeply valued by a growing segment of the Italian parliament — not only for its economic and technological strengths, but for its role as a force for democracy in the Indo-Pacific region, despite its relatively small population.
To translate this recognition into policy, Italy would need to take a further step — one that demonstrates a genuine willingness to support peace through concrete and symbolic engagement.
By taking such a step, Italy would draw closer to Germany’s example — a country that shares its belief in the need to preserve stability and freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait.
The moment is ripe: In the first days of this moment, the Canadian frigate HMCS Ville de Quebec and the Australian destroyer HMAS Brisbane sailed through the Strait in what marked the two nations’ first joint freedom of navigation operation. Beijing’s reaction — claiming the move “undermines regional peace and stability” — highlights the symbolic weight of such maneuvers and their capacity to challenge coercive narratives.
These examples make one thing clear: Fears of Chinese retaliation are not only exaggerated, but also unsupported by facts. Beijing might have reacted harshly to Germany, Canada and Australia, but it has failed to stop any of them from carrying out operations in defense of freedom of navigation.
These actions have lent meaningful support to Taiwan’s rightful aspirations — for dignity, recognition and peace. There is a credible foundation for Italian engagement in the Taiwan Strait.
Such a move would not only reaffirm Italy’s commitment to freedom of navigation, but also position it alongside a growing coalition of democratic partners supporting Taiwan’s legitimate aspirations to uphold a rules-based international order, and ensure regional stability in the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea.
Michele Maresca is an analyst at Il Caffe Geopolitico, an online international law journal, and the think tank Geopol21.
KMT Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun’s (鄭麗文) recent visit to Beijing and her upcoming visit to Washington will serve as a high-level test of her diplomatic mettle. In Beijing, Cheng was received with symbolic gestures, a warm reception, and high-level access. In Washington, she will receive far less pomp and far sharper questions about the KMT’s vision for the future of Taiwan. Her challenge will be to persuade Washington that the KMT’s engagement with China can coexist with strong deterrence. Cheng’s April 7-12 visit to mainland China coincided with an intense period of conflict in Iran. Despite the strategic significance of Cheng’s trip,
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz has sent the vast Asian chemicals industry into a tailspin. Deprived of the likes of Qatari natural gas and Saudi Arabian oil, the region’s fertilizer and plastics plants are slowing production or even shutting down. Everywhere except China, that is. In petrochemicals, China is unique. As well as a traditional industry that uses oil and gas as feedstock, it has parallel output that relies on its abundant domestic coal. Unsurprisingly, India and other regional powers want to copy and paste the Chinese method. This would not be easy — or climate friendly. The
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto says he knows how to fix the problems facing Indonesia. Yet his economic mismanagement and authoritarian tendencies are steering the nation toward a familiar mix of currency instability and political chaos. The world’s fourth-most populous nation risks reversing the hard-won democratic and business reforms that came after the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997. At that time, the rupiah collapsed and the political upheaval that followed forced former president Haji Mohamed Suharto from power. Prabowo’s administration is ignoring similar warning signs. That disconnect was apparent in a national address on Wednesday, when Prabowo projected the swagger that has
“Of course you can choose not to be Taiwanese, just do not stay here,” chairwoman of Taipei 101 operator Taipei Financial Center Corp Janet Chia (賈永婕) said in an online interview with local entertainer Tai Chih-yuan (邰智源), triggering intense discussion on social media, with politicians across party lines weighing in. In the interview, which was aired on May 14, Chia and Tai’s discussion over a meal in Taipei 101 covered Chia’s career change from entertainer to chairwoman and US climber Alex Honnold’s free solo climb up the Taipei 101 building. During the interview, Chia said, “Being on this land, we
RSS