BRUSSELS (AP) 鈥� Taiwan’s deputy leader urged the European Union to boost security and trade ties with the self-governing island and support its democracy in the face of , in a rare address to a group of international lawmakers in Brussels on Friday.
鈥淧eace in the Taiwan Strait is essential to global stability and economic continuity, and international opposition against unilateral changes to the status quo by force cannot be overstated,鈥� Vice President Bi-Khim Hsiao told lawmakers assembled for a China-focused conference in the European Parliament building.
While Hsiao did not formally address the whole EU Parliament 鈥� the European trade bloc does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan 鈥� her visit drew ire from China.
鈥淚n an era marked by increasing fragmentation, volatility and rising authoritarianism, this gathering affirms something vital 鈥� that democracies, even when far apart, are not alone,鈥� she added to a standing ovation in a small chamber of the European Parliament.
Hsiao also called on the lawmakers from countries including Germany and Spain to collaborate more on trusted supply chains and AI technology with Taiwan, the island off China鈥檚 east coast that Beijing claims as part of its territory and says .
EU members, like most countries including the United States, have no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and follow a 鈥淥ne China鈥� policy. But the EU and Taiwan share common democratic values as well as close trade ties, and the bloc opposes any use of military force by China to settle its dispute with Taiwan.
Hsiao also drew parallels between Taiwan suffering cyberattacks and having its undersea internet cables cut by China, and hybrid attacks faced by European nations since
鈥淓urope has defended freedom under fire, and Taiwan has built democracy under pressure,” she said.
She said that China’s disruptions of global supply chains 鈥� likely a reference partly to Beijing’s earlier this year 鈥� should push Brussels to forge with Taiwan 鈥渁 reliable technology ecosystem rooted in trust, transparency and democratic values鈥� like they already have for semiconductor sales.
China鈥檚 mission to Europe on Saturday criticized the EU parliament for allowing her and other leading 鈥淭aiwan independence鈥� figures to carry out 鈥渟eparatist activities鈥� in its building despite China’s opposition. China expressed strong indignation over the matter and already made a solemn representation to the European side, according to a statement on its website
鈥淭his act seriously harms China鈥檚 core interests and violates the one-China principle, while seriously interfering in China鈥檚 internal affairs and undermining China-EU political mutual trust,鈥� it said.
It added the Taiwan issue, which concerns China’s sovereignty, is a red line that cannot be crossed, urging Europe to stop sending any wrong signals to the 鈥渟eparatist forces.鈥�
China routinely states that Taiwan鈥檚 independence is a 鈥渄ead end,” claiming the island as . China鈥檚 military has increased its encircling of Taiwan鈥檚 skies and waters in recent years, holding joint with its warships and fighter jets on a near-daily basis near the island.
Last month Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te vowed to accelerate the or Taiwan Dome, and boost defense spending to reach 5% of Taiwan鈥檚 GDP by 2030 amid growing security concerns.
Hsiao’s visit was part of a conference organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a global group of hundreds of lawmakers who want to strengthen coordination on China-related policy and lobby for unified international action on key China challenges.
Some 50 lawmakers from about two dozen countries attended Friday鈥檚 event in Brussels.
The trip and speech were kept under wraps because of high security concerns after reports that Chinese agents plotted to ram Hsiao’s car during her visit to the Czech Republic in March 2024, when she was vice president-elect. Czech officials later said Chinese agents had followed Hsiao and planned to intimidate her physically.
Hsiao said at the time that the Chinese Communist Party’s 鈥渦nlawful activities鈥� will not intimidate her from 鈥渧oicing Taiwan鈥檚 interests in the international community.鈥�
Ben Bland, director of the Asia-Pacific program at the London-based think tank Chatham House, wrote in an analysis last month that despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations, the EU and Taiwan can do much more to deepen ties for mutual benefit in the face of worsening U.S.-China rivalry.
Any conflict over Taiwan could have far more devastating impact on Europe than Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, given Taiwan鈥檚 leading role in semiconductor and electronics supply chains, he wrote.
鈥淓uropean nations cannot stop Beijing from squeezing Taiwan harder,鈥� Bland wrote. 鈥淏ut they can help to preserve and even increase Taiwan鈥檚 global connections, and share lessons in how to stay resilient.鈥�
China and Taiwan split during a civil war that brought the Communist Party to power in China in 1949. The defeated Nationalist Party forces fled to Taiwan, where they set up their own government.
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Hui reported from London. Associated Press writer Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
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