Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) made history on Friday as the first Taiwanese vice president to deliver a speech in a European parliament while in office, addressing the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) in Brussels.
Her presence and remarks at the European Parliament were highlighted by IPAC, a global alliance of lawmakers from various countries and political parties seeking to reform their governments’ China policies, in a social media post written in traditional and simplified Chinese, Japanese and Spanish. The post included three photos showing Hsiao speaking to IPAC members, accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍).
Hsiao underscored the importance of democratic solidarity amid rising authoritarian pressure, calling for democracies to stand together in defending shared values of openness, transparency and the rule of law.
Photo courtesy of the IPAC
“Democracies, even when far apart, are not alone. We are not alone in our values, not alone in our challenges, and, most importantly, we are not alone in our responsibility to act,” she said.
Hsiao highlighted Taiwan’s efforts to build what she called “whole-of-society resilience” — strengthening defenses through civic preparedness, cybersecurity and trusted economic partnerships — while asserting that Taiwan’s role as a thriving democracy and key player in global supply chains makes it indispensable to international stability and prosperity.
She said “peace in the Taiwan Strait is essential to global stability and economic continuity,” and warned that China’s attempts to alter the “status quo” violates the international consensus.
“Taiwan matters — not because we are a victim of coercion, but because the integrity of the international system and global prosperity depend on a strong and free Taiwan,” she said.
“We don’t just want to survive, we want democracies to thrive. We are not just defending what we have, but building what we want the future to look like, where free people and societies are more connected, more united and more capable,” Hsiao said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Fan Yun (范雲), one of Taiwan’s IPAC cochairs, who was also present, wrote in a Facebook post that Hsiao had spoken to lawmakers from more than 50 countries to explain “why Taiwan matters.”
“Everyone gave a non-stop standing ovation after the speech and asked to take pictures with her. The special guest took the venue by storm,” Fan wrote.
The IPAC assembly marked the first time Taiwan participated as an official member. Taiwan gained membership last year during the alliance’s summit in Taipei, with Fan and Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) serving as its cochairs.
Taiwan’s only formal diplomatic ties in Europe are with the Vatican, but countries from the UK and France to Lithuania and Poland have disregarded Beijing’s complaints to allow visits by acting or former senior Taiwan officials.
While Taiwanese foreign ministers sometimes visit Europe and other parts of the world without formal ties to Taipei, it is rare for a sitting vice president to do so, as some countries are wary of backlash from China.
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday departed for a visit to Berlin and is slated to address the Berlin Freedom Conference tomorrow.
In September, Lin traveled to Europe twice, visiting Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Italy.
Lin earlier this week said that he went to Europe to strengthen relations, and his ministry had set up a Europe task force.
China’s mission to the EU in a news release yesterday said that Hsiao’s visit “gravely violates the one-China principle, constitutes serious interference in China’s internal affairs, and severely undermines political mutual trust between China and the EU.”
Additional reporting by Reuters
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