German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group chairman Till Steffen yesterday said that exchanges between democratic nations should not be subject to third-party interference, during a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) in Taipei.
During a reception at the Presidential Office for the group of cross-party German lawmakers, both sides discussed deepening cooperation in defense, disaster response and technology, the office said.
Steffen said he noticed that the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday objected to his delegation’s visit to Taiwan, but he believed that exchanges between democracies are normal and cannot be interfered with by any third party.
Photo courtesy of the Presidential Office
Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning (毛寧) told a news conference that China firmly opposes official interactions of any form between “China’s Taiwan region” and countries with diplomatic ties to Beijing, Xinhua news agency reported.
The German government and parliament’s stance on Taiwan has not changed, Steffen said.
If anything, diplomatic nations must deepen cooperation to jointly face the threat of authoritarian regimes, he added.
Whenever there are exchanges with Taiwan, China often states its disapproval, he said, adding that Monday was no exception.
Regarding Lai’s visit to Eswatini, Steffen said that it is standard practice to host exchanges between diplomatic allies.
Taiwan and Germany share many of the same challenges in global strategic positioning, industrial resilience, defense and civil defense, as well as many common interests and opportunities for mutual learning, he said, adding that he looks forward to further bilateral cooperation.
Amid a fast-changing geopolitical landscape, only cooperation between democratic partners can maintain the international order, Lai said.
He said he hoped that Taiwan and Germany would continue to deepen cooperation in fields from information security and defense production to disaster prevention and response, and social resilience.
Steffen said his delegation would pay close attention to a potential telephone call between Lai and US President Donald Trump, and Washington’s decision on a US$14 billion arms package to Taiwan.
Lai thanked Taiwan’s international partners for their support and recognition.
The delegation’s trip is particularly meaningful, as it is the first visit by the 21st German Bundestag’s German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, with lawmakers from across pary lines, Lai said.
The five-member delegation includes group vice chairman Markus Reichel, as well as German lawmakers Mandy Eissing, Klaus-Peter Willsch and Rainer Kraft.
Germany in September 2024 sent warships through the Taiwan Strait for the first time in 22 years, which reaffirmed that the Strait remains international waters, where freedom of navigation must be protected, Lai said.
The group has also repeatedly stated its support for Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, allowing Taiwan to work with its partners to make meaningful contributions to the world, he said.
The two nations have also deepened relations based on their democratic values, bilateral trade and cooperation in the field of science and technology, he added.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) is investing in a semiconductor facility in Dresden, Germany, Lai said, adding that it is an important milestone in cooperation, further integrating the two countries into the global democratic supply chain.
During their visit that ends on Saturday, the group is to meet with former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), National Security Council Secretary-General Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairwoman Cheng Li-wun (鄭麗文) and Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌), among others, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Additional reporting by CNA
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