Taiwan would be a perfect partner for the EU as the bloc considers building a hub to combat disinformation campaigns by authoritarian regimes, the head of a visiting European Parliament delegation said yesterday ahead of their return to Brussels.
“We can benefit a lot as Europeans from a closer cooperation with Taiwan in the fight against disinformation,” EU lawmaker Raphael Glucksmann told a news conference at the conclusion of the three-day trip to Taiwan.
The EU is considering building a hub to combat disinformation, and the whole delegation agreed that “it should be Taiwan,” he said.
Photo: CNA
“That actually makes a lot of sense, the partnership should grow and get deeper and deeper,” he added.
The delegation — comprising members of the parliament’s Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation — was in Taiwan to learn how the nation has built a strong democracy while facing threats from China, he said.
Like Taiwan, Europe is facing large-scale actions orchestrated by an authoritarian regime to weaken its democracy, Glucksmann said.
Seeing Taiwan’s successful example, the “idea of the whole society being involved in this fight is crucial for us,” he said.
Asked if the first-ever trip by an official European Parliament delegation to Taiwan could exacerbate tensions across the Taiwan Strait, Glucksmann said he believes that the visit would have the opposite effect.
“We are really convinced that the more you have interaction between the international community and Taiwan, the less dangerous the situation would be in the Strait,” he said.
A trip to Taiwan or a high-level meeting with Taiwanese officials should be considered normal, instead of a provocation that adds fuel to the fire, he added.
Glucksmann said he and the other group members are not afraid of possible Chinese sanctions in response to the visit.
EU lawmaker Petras Austrevicius, a delegation member from Lithuania, said that in the wake of Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997, the world turned a blind eye to Beijing’s actions, which emboldened the Chinese leadership.
Hong Kong’s example shows that an authoritarian government is capable of committing many crimes against humanity, Austrevicius said.
“We cannot afford to be naive any longer,” he said.
Earlier yesterday, Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) met with the delegation at the legislature.
The EU lawmakers had gained insights into Taiwan’s democracy and felt at home here, Glucksmann told You, adding that despite the distance between Taiwan and Europe, Taiwanese have the same concept of democracy and liberty.
The delegation hopes to lay the foundation for warmer ties between Taiwan and Europe, he said, urging more cooperation between the two sides.
You said it was a “warm gesture” that the delegation visited despite the COVID-19 pandemic and Chinese protests.
The Thai government on Friday announced that Taiwanese would be allowed to stay in the country for up to 60 days per entry, under the Southeast Asian country’s visa-free program starting from today. Taiwan is among 93 countries included in the Thai visa-waiver program, which has been expanded from 57 countries, with the visa-exempt entry extended from 30 to 60 days. After taking office last year, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has vowed to grant more visa waivers to foreign travelers as part of efforts to stimulate tourism. The expanded visa-waiver program was on Friday signed by Thai Minister of the Interior Anutin
CHIPS AND DEFENSE: Trump said the US had lost its chip business and Taipei should pay it for defense, and added that ‘we’re no different than an insurance company’ Taiwan-US relations are solid, and both sides are in agreement that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region are everyone’s concern, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday following comments by former US president Donald Trump that Taiwan “should pay” for US defense. Taiwan is thankful to the US for supporting Taiwan’s bid to participate in international organizations, Cho told a news conference in Taipei. “I know the people very well, respect them greatly. They did take about 100 percent of our chip business,” Trump told Bloomberg on June 25 in an interview that was published on Tuesday. “I think
SHOW OF SUPPORT: Taiwan has been one of the largest buyers of US defense equipment, supporting American businesses and jobs, US lawmakers said Taiwan has been paying for its own defense, a US Department of State official said on Wednesday, adding that purchases of military equipment are important to the US economy and for ensuring regional security. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller was asked at a news conference about comments by former US president Donald Trump, the Republican nominee in November’s US presidential election, who said during an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek that Taiwan should pay Washington for its defense needs. “The purchases that they [Taiwan] have made not only are important, we believe, to regional security, but are important to the United States economy,”
SECURITY CONCERNS: An FBI agent said it was surprising that the shooter, whose motive remains unknown, was able to open fire before the Secret Service killed him On the heels of an apparent attempt to kill him, former US president Donald Trump yesterday called for unity and resilience as shocked leaders across the political divide recoiled from the shooting that left him injured, but “fine,” and the shooter and a rally-goer dead. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee said the upper part of his right ear was pierced in the shooting His aides said he was in “great spirits” and doing well. “I knew immediately that something was wrong in that I heard a whizzing sound, shots, and immediately felt the bullet ripping through the skin. Much bleeding took place,” he