Wed, Feb 08, 2023 page1

• Finnish MP blasts Chinese aggression

  ‘SMART PARTNERS’: Taiwan has the right to decide its own future, Mikko Karna said, calling for deeper ties, as Taiwan is a significant economic actor in East Asia

  • By Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporter
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  A visiting Finnish delegation yesterday condemned Chinese aggression and said the European nation hoped to improve economic ties with Taiwan.

  Finnish Parliamentary Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Mikko Karna and Finnish lawmaker Tom Packalen met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office yesterday morning.

  Karna said it was an honor to be invited to Taiwan, adding that their trip so far has been “interesting and productive,” as they learned more about Taiwan’s economic strengths and the security situation across the Taiwan Strait.

  

  President Tsai Ing-wen, right, looks on as Finnish lawmaker Mikko Karna gives a speech at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: CNA

  The pair arrived on Sunday and are scheduled to leave tomorrow.

  Finland should build more ties with Taiwan, especially economic ones, as “Taiwan is a significant economic actor here in East Asia,” Karna said.

  “Taiwan’s expertise, especially in semiconductors, is highly appreciated,” he said, adding that Finland welcomes cooperation in the fields of science, technology, education and culture.

  He underlined Finland’s support for Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organizations, as it is crucial to issues regarding health, security, and the well-being of Taiwanese and the region.

  Karna also thanked Taiwan for delivering masks to Finland during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Bonds of friendship become stronger as the security environment becomes more dangerous, he said, citing the example of the US voicing support for Taiwan.

  “Where there was strategic ambiguity before, there is now strategic clarity,” he said.

  Finland and Taiwan share the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law and equality, which are “not always respected by big neighbors,” Karna said.

  The two countries are “small, but smart partners” that can contribute greatly to international development, he said.

  “We must together condemn China’s aggression toward Taiwan. Taiwan has the right to decide its own future,” he added.

  Tsai said the delegation’s visit is “highly meaningful for the deepening of bilateral relations between Taiwan and Finland.”

  The international community has been paying greater attention to Taiwan-related issues over the past few years, she said.

  The 27-member Finnish friendship group is one of the most robust groups in the Finnish parliament, she said, thanking the group for improving bilateral relations and supporting Taiwan’s international participation.

  Karna has voiced support for Taiwan numerous times on social media, showing a friendship “we truly value,” she added.

  There has been significant progress in exchanges between the two countries in all domains, with bilateral trade growing 30 percent in 2021 from the previous year, she said.

  Taiwan and Finland held their seventh bilateral trade talks in Taipei in December, discussing green energy transition, energy resources and digitalization.

  The two sides will continue to boost industrial cooperation and deepen exchanges to strengthen democratic resilience, Tsai said.

  In the face of the continuing expansion of authoritarianism, international democratic partners should work together to “safeguard regional prosperity, supply chain security, and the values of freedom and democracy,” she added.
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