The European Parliament’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the EU (INGE) is to send a delegation to Taiwan next month with the aim of exchanging experiences in countering false information and Internet interference by China, sources said.
Concerned about information security, the European Parliament on Oct. 6 voted to adopt a report on the state of the EU’s cyberdefense capabilities, urging the EU and its member states to further develop their comprehensive cybersecurity measures and defense policies to improve their resilience and mutual coordination.
The report also called on EU member states to step up cooperation with Taiwan, Australia, India, Japan, South Korea and the US, as well as other like-minded democracies in the Indo-Pacific region, and to share their knowledge and experiences to respond to cyberthreats together.
Photo: Reuters
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it did not have information on the INGE’s reported plans to send a delegation to Taiwan, but added that it would work with relevant EU institutions, such as the European Parliament, to develop mutually beneficial ties.
Meanwhile, the European Parliament is scheduled on Wednesday to vote on a report on Taiwan-EU political relations and cooperation.
The report supports deepening political relations with Taiwan, as well as increasing the nation’s participation in the international arena.
If passed, it would mark an important milestone in Europe’s support of Taiwan’s democracy.
Separately on Wednesday, National Development Council Minister Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) is to lead a delegation focused on trade and investment to Slovakia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic, while Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) is expected to visit Prague later this month to attend a conference at the invitation of the Czech Senate.
Lithuanian lawmaker Matas Maldeikis, chairman of the Parliamentary Group for Relations With Taiwan, is also to lead a delegation to the nation in December at the invitation of Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉), who is head of the parliamentary friendship group between Taiwan and the Baltic states.
Maldeikis said in a recent interview that he specifically invited members of Lithuania’s parliament with different political stances, including members of the opposition, to join the trip so that they could see for themselves how Taiwan and Lithuania could benefit from cooperating with one another.
His dream is to find a niche for Lithuania’s businesses to cooperate with Taiwan, and to have the total amount of bilateral trade and investment between the nations surpass that of Lithuania and China, he said.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS