Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung led a delegation to visit Europe, with their first stop in Belgium. They visited the headquarters of imec, a leading research center in Belgium for semiconductor and microelectronics, as well as the parliament and the European Parliament.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China issued a press release stating that in order to showcase Taiwan’s capabilities in drone research and manufacturing to Europe and global democratic partners, and to promote Taiwan as the core of the global drone supply chain, the Ministry entrusted the Taiwan External Trade Development Council to organize a “Taiwan Drone Industry Delegation.” Currently, there are 20 drone-related companies participating in the delegation, scheduled to visit Europe from November 17th to 24th.
Lin Chia-lung posted on Facebook, highlighting Taiwan’s comprehensive semiconductor ecosystem, with a market share of over 90% in advanced semiconductor processes. He emphasized Taiwan’s indispensable role in promoting global economic prosperity. On the afternoon of the 18th local time, he visited the imec headquarters in Belgium, known as the “global semiconductor brain center,” and exchanged views on the global division of labor and future development of Taiwan’s semiconductor industry with Luc Van den hove, the CEO of imec.
During the visit, Lin Chia-lung and Van den hove toured the experimental factory. Since its establishment in 1984, imec has focused on research and development in cutting-edge technologies such as advanced semiconductors, silicon photonics, AI, communications, and energy, and has developed one of the world’s most advanced test facilities.
Lin Chia-lung mentioned the close cooperation between Taiwan and imec for over 20 years, particularly with leading Taiwanese semiconductor companies such as TSMC. Facing geopolitical changes globally, Taiwan is committed to maintaining regional peace and stability, improving the investment environment, ensuring the continuous development of the semiconductor ecosystem, and collaborating with democratic partners to create a secure global industry chain.
According to Central News Agency reports, Lin Chia-lung’s first official visit to Europe started in Belgium, where he not only visited the Belgian Parliament but also received a warm welcome from several members of the European Parliament. On the 20th, he will accompany representatives of Taiwan’s drone industry to the key destination of Lithuania. The European Parliament building, located in the EU headquarters area in Brussels, recently welcomed both former President Tsai Ing-wen in October and the current Foreign Minister of the Republic of China, Lin Chia-lung, on the 19th.
European Parliament member Rasa Juknevičienė, former Lithuanian Minister of Defense, shared on social media her meeting with Lin Chia-lung and the former Taiwanese representative to Lithuania, Huang Chun-yao (current Director-General of the European Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), expressing the importance of successful cooperation.
In addition to Rasa Juknevičienė, Kathleen Van Brempt, the Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Trade Committee from Belgium, met with Lin Chia-lung. Other attending members included Engin Eroglu, the newly appointed head of the “Delegation for Relations with China,” and Michael Gahler, Chairman of the Pro-Taiwan Group, both German nationals.
Participants also included Bernard Guetta from France, who serves as the Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC); Urmas Paet, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Estonia and Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee; Andrey Kovatchev from Bulgaria, and Rihards Kols from Latvia. Kols, previously the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Latvian Parliament during his visit to Taiwan in May, is now a member of the European Parliament.
Lin Chia-lung also visited the Belgian Federal Parliament, where Els Van Hoof, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee and Co-Chair of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, guided him through the Belgian Parliament, including a photo together at the lectern in the chamber.