Tue, Aug 25, 2026 page2

• Taiwan finding diplomatic space in Europe: report

  • By William Hetherington / Staff writer, with CNA
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  Sister-city arrangements, memoranda of understanding and regular exchange mechanisms could become important channels for Taiwan, even as its formal diplomatic space in the region remains constrained, the Central European Institute of Asian Studies said in a report.

  Taiwan has in the past few years expanded its international activity through exchanges with local governments, as most European countries maintain a “one China” policy, the report said, adding that such local-level exchanges can serve as an important complement to formal diplomacy.

  Such cooperation can also raise Taiwan’s visibility and increase participation in the international community, it added.

  

  People walk past shops in central Prague on Oct. 31, 2019.

  Photo: Reuters

  Local Taiwanese governments have 33 cooperative relationships with European cities, towns or regional governments, according to the report.

  Poland has the most, with seven cities — including Warsaw, Katowice, Gdynia and Poznan — having established ties with Taiwan, while Germany has five such arrangements, including with Dresden, the think tank said.

  Taiwan’s strengths in semiconductors, information and communications technology, smart manufacturing and technological innovation have made it an important partner for local European governments seeking to diversify supply chains and reduce their dependence on China, it said.

  Dresden has held exchanges with Kaohsiung and Hsinchu City in talent development and industrial cooperation, partly driven by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co’s plans to establish a semiconductor plant in the German city.

  However, Taiwan’s subnational diplomatic ties in Europe remain relatively limited compared with the more than 100 local partnerships it has in the US and more than 34 in Japan, the report said.

  One reason is the relatively small size of Taiwan’s overseas communities in Europe, it said.

  Germany has the largest Taiwanese population in Europe with about 8,000 people, but that is far fewer than in the US or Japan, the institute said.

  The absence of a large overseas community and strong civil society networks means there is less grassroots momentum to promote and advance local-level initiatives, it said.

  Some European cities are concerned about the possibility of political or economic retaliation from China for working with Taiwan, it said.

  For example, Edinburgh, Scotland, had planned to sign a friendship-city agreement with Kaohsiung in 2024, but withdrew the proposal after a Chinese diplomat warned of possible “serious consequences,” the report said, adding that local universities, businesses and the tourism sector also expressed concerns about the potential impact on their access to the Chinese market.

  By contrast, Prague has demonstrated greater resilience to such pressure, it said.

  The Czech capital ended its sister-city agreement with Beijing in 2019 over a dispute involving a “one China” clause and established a partnership with Taipei in 2020, it said.

  Despite subsequent Chinese measures restricting cultural exchanges, Prague continued to deepen cooperation with Taiwan, making it an important example of subnational engagement with Taiwan in Europe, the institute said.

  At least 71 cities or regions simultaneously maintain relationships with Taiwanese and Chinese cities, it said.

  For example, Warsaw has ties with Taipei and Harbin, China, while Bratislava Region, a self-governing administrative region of Slovakia, maintains relations with Kaohsiung and Shanghai, the report said.

  Such arrangements have rarely resulted in substantive Chinese retaliation, it said.

  Taiwan should focus on deepening partnerships by regularly reviewing the relationships, strengthening the participation of universities, chambers of commerce and businesses, and establishing mechanisms to track progress, it said.

  That would help transform sister-city relationships from largely symbolic exchanges into concrete forms of cooperation, it said.

  Taiwan should also use existing multilateral platforms, including the annual Smart City Summit and Expo and the Pact of Free Cities to engage with more European local governments and expand its international network, the report said.

  Enhancing coordination between central and local governments, leveraging Taiwan’s industrial and technological strengths, and turning partnerships into substantive cooperation could further expand Taiwan’s international participation in Europe, it added.
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