Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) trip to Brussels, where she delivered an address at the European Parliament, marks a new chapter in Taiwan-EU relations, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday.
“The visit marks a historic step forward for Taiwan’s diplomacy, as the nation’s vice president visited a country without official ties [to Taiwan] for the first time and delivered a speech at the European Parliament,” Lin wrote on Facebook.
“Under this new model, Taiwan and Europe will continue to explore more possibilities for cooperation and exchanges,” he wrote. “Taiwan will be more confident in its efforts to move forward on the world stage.”
Photo: AP
Hsiao and Lin on Friday were in Brussels for the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China’s (IPAC) annual summit, during which the vice president gave a speech titled “Taiwan: A Trusted Partner in a Volatile World.”
While Taiwan’s leaders have spoken to parliaments of diplomatic allies before, this was a first at a non-diplomatic partner’s legislature.
Beijing strongly protested the visit.
A spokesperson for the Chinese mission to the EU labeled IPAC an “anti-China organization.”
“Despite China’s strong opposition and solemn representations, the European Parliament allowed leading ‘Taiwanese independence’ figures such as Hsiao Bi-khim to enter its building to attend the summit and carry out ‘Taiwanese independence’ separatist activities,” they said on Saturday, adding that the European Parliament contravened the “one China” principle and is “eroding political mutual trust between China and the EU.”
Lin said he has visited Europe four times since becoming foreign minister last year, which helped deepen mutual trust and laid the groundwork for Hsiao’s visit.
Anticipating possible disruption from China, the trip was kept highly classified, he said.
He also thanked President William Lai (賴清德) for his trust, and European lawmakers for inviting Hsiao to speak.
A diplomatic source said that Hsiao did not know she would be traveling to Brussels until shortly before her departure.
She was initially told her speech would be delivered through a pre-recorded video, the source said.
Despite China’s protests, European officials remained supportive and helped facilitate the visit, the source added.
Tunghai University political science professor Lin Tzu-li (林子立) said Hsiao’s trip was “the most impressive performance of Taiwan’s parliamentary diplomacy in recent years.”
“It will not be the last time we see Taiwan’s senior officials speaking in parliaments or congresses in other democratic countries,” he added.
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