There is “no room for Chinese aggression in democratic Taiwan,” European Parliament Vice President Nicola Beer said upon her arrival in Taiwan yesterday, adding that it is time for Europe to stand with Taiwan, as both are members of a “family of democracies.”
Upon her arrival at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport for a three-day trip, Beer said she was honored to be visiting Taiwan in her official capacity as one of the three European Parliament vice presidents.
“Taiwan’s bloom is Europe’s bloom,” she said, adding that the EU would not turn a blind eye to the Chinese threat toward Taiwan.
Photo: CNA
Beer, who is from Germany and a European Parliament member since 2019, said Europe was “late” for Hong Kong, referring to the territory that had enjoyed a high degree of autonomy, but has seen its political and civil liberties curtailed by Beijing following pro-democracy protests in 2019.
“We won’t be late for Taiwan,” she added.
Meanwhile, as Europe witnesses the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Beer said that “we do not want to witness war in Asia.”
“Now is the moment to stand firm on the side of Taiwan. We are a family of democracies,” she said.
Beer is making her first trip to Taiwan, during which she is to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌), Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-chang (蔡其昌), Minister Without Portfolio Audrey Tang (唐鳳) and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Tai-san (邱太三), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The ministry hailed Beer as an important friend of Taiwan, touting her efforts to boost EU-Taiwan ties, and support Taiwan’s participation at the World Health Assembly and other global bodies.
Beer is the first European Parliament vice president to visit Taiwan in an official capacity. Previously vice presidents have visited Taiwan as European Parliament members.
Beer also plans to explore the feasibility of forging two-way cooperation on technology supply chains on her visit which concludes tomorrow, the ministry said.
NO-LIMITS PARTNERSHIP: ‘The bottom line’ is that if the US were to have a conflict with China or Russia it would likely open up a second front with the other, a US senator said Beijing and Moscow could cooperate in a conflict over Taiwan, the top US intelligence chief told the US Senate this week. “We see China and Russia, for the first time, exercising together in relation to Taiwan and recognizing that this is a place where China definitely wants Russia to be working with them, and we see no reason why they wouldn’t,” US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing on Thursday. US Senator Mike Rounds asked Haines about such a potential scenario. He also asked US Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse
NOVEL METHODS: The PLA has adopted new approaches and recently conducted three combat readiness drills at night which included aircraft and ships, an official said Taiwan is monitoring China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) exercises for changes in their size or pattern as the nation prepares for president-elect William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration on May 20, National Security Bureau (NSB) Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) said yesterday. Tsai made the comment at a meeting of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, in response to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Wang Ting-yu’s (王定宇) questions. China continues to employ a carrot-and-stick approach, in which it applies pressure with “gray zone” tactics, while attempting to entice Taiwanese with perks, Tsai said. These actions aim to help Beijing look like it has
China’s intrusive and territorial claims in the Indo-Pacific region are “illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive,” new US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo said on Friday, adding that he would continue working with allies and partners to keep the area free and open. Paparo made the remarks at a change-of-command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii, where he took over the command from Admiral John Aquilino. “Our world faces a complex problem set in the troubling actions of the People’s Republic of China [PRC] and its rapid buildup of forces. We must be ready to answer the PRC’s increasingly intrusive and
INSPIRING: Taiwan has been a model in the Asia-Pacific region with its democratic transition, free and fair elections and open society, the vice president-elect said Taiwan can play a leadership role in the Asia-Pacific region, vice president-elect Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) told a forum in Taipei yesterday, highlighting the nation’s resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. “Not only can Taiwan help, but Taiwan can lead ... not only can Taiwan play a leadership role, but Taiwan’s leadership is important to the world,” Hsiao told the annual forum hosted by the Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation think tank. Hsiao thanked Taiwan’s international friends for their long-term support, citing the example of US President Joe Biden last month signing into law a bill to provide aid to Taiwan,