Polish-Taiwanese Parliamentary Group chairman Waldemar Andzel yesterday told President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in a meeting in Taipei that Poland welcomes Taiwan’s semiconductor manufacturers to establish factories there, adding that a direct flight service could be established between Warsaw and Taipei.
Andzel and his delegation arrived in Taiwan on Monday for a five-day visit as part of the 30th anniversary of friendship between the two nations.
The visit also occurs as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電) is looking for sites to build new fabs in Europe.
Photo: CNA
Poland has been supporting Taiwan as the two nations share similar histories, and both face threats from a hostile neighbor, Andzel said.
“We thank Taiwan for your donation of masks and other medical supplies when the world was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In return, we also tried to help Taiwan by donating 400,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines,” he said.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, Taiwanese have donated more than US$11 million to Ukraine, he said.
Taiwan and Poland also signed an agreement in 2016 to avoid double taxation and prevent tax evasion, removing trade barriers between the nations, he added.
“We hope that both countries can forge a closer economic partnership. We welcome Taiwanese companies to build new plants in Poland, such as semiconductor manufacturing firms,” Andzel said.
Noting that this was his third visit to Taiwan, Andzel said that he hoped there would be a direct flight service between Warsaw and Taipei to facilitate growing cultural exchanges between the two nations.
Tsai thanked the members of the Polish Senate Foreign and European Affairs Committee and the Health Committee for unanimously supporting Taiwan’s participation in activities organized by the WHO in July.
“I also admire you for sheltering more than 3 million Ukrainian refugees. This has demonstrated a humanitarian spirit and solidarity among the democratic countries,” Tsai said.
Poland holds the rotating presidency of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe this year and is leading nations implementing sanctions against Russia and providing humanitarian aid to Ukrainians, she said.
“Taiwan, Poland and Ukraine are at the front lines against the aggression from authoritarian regimes. All Taiwanese feel for the Ukrainians for defending their democracy and freedom. We hope to join other like-minded countries in helping Ukrainians rebuild their homeland when the war is over,” Tsai said.
The Polish delegation also met with Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun (游錫?) when they visited the legislature in Taipei.
“We are far apart geographically, but democracy and freedom are our common languages. Although we are in different continents and each facing unprecedented challenges, we need to cooperate more closely to jointly defend universal values of liberty, democracy and human rights, and ensure peaceful and stable development around the globe,” You said.
A series of protests against COVID-19 lockdowns in Shanghai, Beijing and other cities in China, also known as the “Blank Paper Revolution,” showed the Chinese people’s desire for freedom under Beijing’s draconian “zero COVID-19” policy, he said.
“It is outrageous that China still controls what people think about the policy by trying to cover up the protests on the Internet,” You said.
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