A delegation of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) is visiting Taiwan to show support for democracy and foster deeper ties with the nation, delegation leader MEP Reinhard Butikofer said yesterday.
Taiwan has performed outstandingly in the areas of human rights, democracy, freedom and the rule of law, which is why the delegation hopes to seek closer relations with the nation, Butikofer said during a meeting with President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
As chairman of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with the People’s Republic of China, Butikofer called on democracies around the world to unite and work together in the face of authoritarian expansion.
Photo: CNA
The delegation also hopes to learn more about Taiwan’s vibrant society and seek opportunities to cooperate to build more resilient supply chains, he said.
Thanks to Tsai’s leadership over the past eight years, Taiwan has gained many new friends in Europe, Butikofer said.
The five major political groups in the European Parliament have different opinions on many issues, but there is a clear consensus on supporting Taiwan, he said.
Photo courtesy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Tsai thanked the parliament and its members for supporting Taiwan’s democracy, freedom and international participation through concrete actions.
Cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Europe have in the past few years become increasingly close, she said, citing the example of the parliament passing reports on two major security policies last month calling for ties with Taiwan to be deepened and voicing concern about heightened tension across the Taiwan Strait.
The delegation’s visit could help Taiwan have in-depth exchanges with Germany and other European nations on issues of common concern, she said, adding that she looks forward to closer cooperation between the two sides on the prevention of disinformation, supply chain security and economic exchanges.
Other delegation members include European Parliament Vice President Heidi Hautala, German Bundestag members Agnieszka Brugger and Boris Mijatovic, as well as German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group deputy chair Till Steffen, all of whom are members of green parties in their nations.
During their visit, which ends on Thursday, the delegation is to attend a banquet hosted by Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) and meet with legislators, government officials and representatives of civic groups, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday.
They are to exchange views on issues such as Taiwan’s political and economic development, economic and trade relations between Taiwan and the EU, human rights and environmental protection, and explore opportunities for cooperation with Taiwan, it said.
Butikofer is a long-standing friend of Taiwan who is dedicated to deepening the partnership between Taiwan and Europe, the ministry said.
By holding seminars on issues related to Taiwan, he has contributed significantly to creating a supportive atmosphere for Taiwan across Europe, it said.
Separately, the ministry yesterday welcomed another delegation comprising Romanian lawmakers aiming to enhance bilateral exchanges and cooperation.
The seven-member delegation is led by Romania-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group chairman Catalin-Daniel Fenechiu, who also cochairs the Formosa Club, and plans to stay until Saturday, the ministry said.
Fenechiu has repeatedly voiced support for Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Assembly and other international organizations, the ministry said, adding that he also coordinated with Taipei to assist Ukraine following Russia’s invasion.
The trip would help enhance bilateral exchanges and bolster industrial cooperation, it said, adding that Taiwan and Romania have great potential for economic, trade and technology cooperation.
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
GEOPOLITICAL CONCERNS: Foreign companies such as Nissan, Volkswagen and Konica Minolta have pulled back their operations in China this year Foreign companies pulled more money from China last quarter, a sign that some investors are still pessimistic even as Beijing rolls out stimulus measures aimed at stabilizing growth. China’s direct investment liabilities in its balance of payments dropped US$8.1 billion in the third quarter, data released by the Chinese State Administration of Foreign Exchange showed on Friday. The gauge, which measures foreign direct investment (FDI) in China, was down almost US$13 billion for the first nine months of the year. Foreign investment into China has slumped in the past three years after hitting a record in 2021, a casualty of geopolitical tensions,
‘SOMETHING SPECIAL’: Donald Trump vowed to reward his supporters, while President William Lai said he was confident the Taiwan-US partnership would continue Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the US early yesterday morning, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts. With a win in Wisconsin, Trump cleared the 270 electoral votes needed to clinch the presidency. As of press time last night, The Associated Press had Trump on 277 electoral college votes to 224 for US Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s nominee, with Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Michigan and Nevada yet to finalize results. He had 71,289,216 votes nationwide, or 51 percent, while Harris had 66,360,324 (47.5 percent). “We’ve been through so
RSS