Taiwan urges EU to strengthen trade, security ties

Taiwan’s Vice President Bi-Khim Hsiao made a rare and significant appeal to European lawmakers on Friday, urging the European Union to strengthen security and trade cooperation with the self-governing island. Speaking at a China-focused conference in Brussels, Hsiao highlighted the need to protect democracy in the face of mounting pressure from China.

“Peace in the Taiwan Strait is essential for global stability and economic continuity,” Hsiao said, emphasizing that any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force would have serious international repercussions. Her remarks came during a meeting of about 50 lawmakers from two dozen countries, including Germany and Spain.

Although Taiwan and the EU have no formal diplomatic relations, the Vice President urged European nations to collaborate on secure supply chains and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence, highlighting Taiwan’s strategic role in the semiconductor and electronics industries. She also pointed out parallels between cyberattacks and disruptions faced by Taiwan and hybrid threats encountered by European countries following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

China reacted strongly to Hsiao’s visit, condemning the European Parliament for allowing her to speak. In a statement, Beijing called the meeting a violation of the “One China” principle and warned Europe against sending signals supporting “separatist forces.” China has long claimed Taiwan as part of its territory and has regularly conducted military drills near the island in recent years.

Taiwan has been bolstering its defenses, with President Lai Ching-te committing to strengthen the air defense system and increase defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2030. Hsiao’s visit underscores Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to maintain international connections despite security threats, including past attempts by Chinese agents to intimidate Taiwanese officials abroad.

Amid growing US-China competition, experts note that stronger EU-Taiwan cooperation could help secure global technology supply chains and reinforce democratic values in the region, without escalating tensions unnecessarily.