Meeting with a Delegation of the European Parliament across Parties – Xiao Meiqin: Deepening Partnership Relations

On February 27, 2025, Vice President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) Lai Ching-te met with the “European Parliament Cross-Party Delegation for Taiwan,” expressing gratitude for the support from European Parliament members for Taiwan and their advocacy on behalf of the country. She expressed her hope for Taiwan to become a force for good in the world and to deepen its partnership with Europe.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China announced on the 25th that the European Parliament Cross-Party Delegation visited Taiwan from the 24th to the 28th. The delegation was led by Ivars Ījabs, Vice Chairman of the European Parliament’s Group of the European People’s Party (Latvian nationality), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended a warm welcome to the delegation.

Members of the delegation included European Parliament members Hannes Heide (Austrian nationality, Socialist Group), Arkadiusz Mularczyk (Polish nationality, Conservative Group), Vladimir Prebilič (Slovenian nationality, Green Party Group), and policy advisor Kārlis Ralfs Lapiņš (Latvian nationality) to group leader Ījabs.

During her speech, Vice President Lai expressed a warm welcome to the members of the delegation, consisting of a cross-party representation that represents various political viewpoints and ideologies in Europe, all united in their support for Taiwan and in fostering friendship. She reiterated the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the country’s contribution to global prosperity and progress, for which she expressed deep gratitude.

Lai mentioned that she was aware that many members of the delegation had previously advocated for meaningful international participation by Taiwan, including openly opposing China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to unjustly exclude Taiwan. She stated, “We are always grateful to friends around the world who are willing to speak out in support and challenge these unjust claims.”

The Vice President emphasized the Taiwanese people’s desire to be a force for good in the world and to deepen partnerships with Europe. Currently, the European Union is Taiwan’s largest source of foreign investment, with Europe being one of the initial investors in Taiwan’s semiconductor industry.

She pointed out, “Now, as we face challenges in strengthening and integrating energy resources, Europe is also a major investor and supporter of Taiwan… industries such as offshore wind power, green energy, and renewable energy.” In recent years, with Taiwan’s economic transformation, the partnership with the EU has become even more crucial.

Additionally, on the 26th, Speaker of the Legislative Yuan of the Republic of China, Han Kuo-yu, met with the “European Parliament Cross-Party Delegation,” including Vice Chairman Ivars Ījabs and four others.

Han emphasized the warming relations between Taiwan and Europe in various fields, such as economic and trade cooperation. In the education sector from 2023 to 2024, nearly 7,300 students from European countries came to study in Taiwan, with over 80% from EU member states, while more than 10,000 individuals from Taiwan studied in Europe in 2023, with the majority in EU member countries, showcasing the continued vibrant bilateral education exchange and talent circulation.

Vice Chairman Ījabs first thanked Speaker Han and members of the cross-party delegation for their time and warm welcome, expressing that Europe has been deeply impressed by Taiwan’s development into a highly free and democratic society, sharing the same values of liberty and democracy. He mentioned that there are many Taiwan-friendly members in the European Parliament, thus the passing of resolutions in support of Taiwan reflects a longstanding consensus among all parties in the European Parliament.

Ījabs stated that Europe supports peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and believes that maintaining a democratic way of life involves three crucial elements: facing the rapidly changing geopolitical environment, upholding an open and free market, and continuing high-tech cooperation, as science is the driving force for the future progress of liberty and democracy.