A delegation of German Free Democratic Party (FDP) lawmakers led by German Bundestag Committee on Defense Chairwoman Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann and party deputy chair Johannes Vogel arrived in Taiwan yesterday.
The visit is a gesture of German “solidarity” with Taiwan, they said.
Legislative Speaker You Si-kun (游錫堃) hosted a banquet to welcome the delegation.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei Photojournalist Society
“As a model of democracy against authoritarianism, Taiwan draws admiration from the world” because of its mature and stable democratic system,” Vogel said.
The FDP is a junior partner in Germany’s coalition government.
Vogel said that Taiwan’s peaceful and smooth transition to democracy was a “quite rare” event worthy of admiration.
The situation between Taiwan and China is complicated, and the FDP and the EU must support the “one China” policy, but the party is nonetheless supportive of Taiwan, he said.
Germany would like to send China a message that military intimidation is not acceptable, he said, adding that the trip is to “demonstrate Germany’s massive support for Taiwan.”
You said he was touched when the FDP in 2021 deleted mention of the “one China” policy from its election platform in an effort to support Taiwan.
Germany and the EU should engage with Taiwan more, he said.
You said he hopes that allies support Taiwan’s resistance against aggression and bullying, safeguard global peace and stability, and work to encourage China’s democratization.
German Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger, also of the FDP, plans to visit Taipei in the spring, Agence France-Presse reported.
It would be the first visit by a member of the German Cabinet in 26 years.
The delegation is to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and other senior officials, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
The members are scheduled to visit the Hsinchu Science Park and the National Human Rights Museum before departing on Thursday.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday criticized the visit.
“The root of the Taiwan problem is precisely that of the law of the jungle — hegemonism, colonialism, militarism and nationalism. China suffered deeply from these behaviors throughout history,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wang Wenbin (汪文斌) told a news conference.
“Germany once experienced a profound and painful historical lesson in this regard,” he added.
Separately, a parliamentary delegation from Lithuania arrived in Taiwan yesterday morning.
Lithuanian Parliamentary Group for Relations with Taiwan vice chair Dovile Sakaliene on Sunday said on Facebook that Lithuania and Taiwan would discuss cybersecurity and geopolitical security challenges.
The invasion of Ukraine showed that the threats Lithuania and Taiwan face are real, and the two countries should “learn, unite, and act now,” she said.
Additional reporting by Lu Yi-hsuan
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old