Taiwan should make its calls known to the world, despite Chinese pressure, members of the European Parliament Taiwan Friendship Group told a news conference in Taipei yesterday, adding that the newly established Formosa Club aims to set up a Europe-wide network to raise awareness about Taiwanese causes.
Group chairman Michael Gahler — a German member of the European Parliament — led a nine-member delegation from several countries on a visit to Taiwan from Sunday until yesterday.
Gahler is also the chairman of the Formosa Club, which was inaugurated on Oct. 16 and includes members of the European, German, French and British parliaments.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
The delegation on Tuesday met with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei, where Tsai reiterated her hope of signing a bilateral investment agreement with the EU.
Asked what might facilitate bilateral negotiations on such an agreement, Gahler yesterday said that the delegation’s members are lawmakers, not negotiators, but would express support for Taiwan.
The Formosa Club aims to make Taiwan an issue of interest in the EU, he said, without listing priority issues it would promote.
Over the past few days, the delegation met with a variety of people for discussions related to security, trade, digitalization, artificial intelligence and mitigating the effects of climate change, which are possible areas for bilateral cooperation, as the EU and Taiwan share the values of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, Gahler said.
“We are aware of the global situations, also with regard to mainland China,” he said, adding that the delegation would like to boost relations with Taiwan under the principle of “everything but formal diplomatic relations.”
Asked to assess Taiwan’s diplomatic situation, as the Vatican is the nation’s only European ally, Gahler said that he cannot speak for the Holy See, but he is convinced that it would not give in to pressure from China.
Asked about the Tsai administration promoting legislation to counter Beijing’s political influence, he said that building awareness is important, as Europeans are more focused on the influence of Russia due to its proximity.
People should fight “fake news” at the international level and clarify the line between legal and illegal action, said Brando Benifei, an Italian member of the European Parliament.
Other members of the European parliamentary delegation included Bert-Jan Ruissen of the Netherlands, Engin Eroglu and Ralf Seekatz of Germany and Emmanouil Fragkos of Greece.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
The New Taipei City Government would assist relatives of those killed or injured in last month’s car-ramming incident in Sansia District (三峽) to secure compensation, Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) said yesterday, two days after the driver died in a hospital. “The city government will do its best to help the relatives of the car crash incident seek compensation,” Hou said. The mayor also said that the city’s Legal Affairs, Education and Social Welfare departments have established a joint mechanism to “provide coordinated assistance” to victims and their families. Three people were killed and 12 injured when a car plowed into schoolchildren and their
RSS