The European Economic and Trade Office in Taipei yesterday celebrated Europe Day and the 20th anniversary of its establishment at the Huashan 1914 Creative Park in Taipei with a special focus on Ukraine.
Office Director Filip Grzegorzewski said the organizers invited members of the Ukrainian community in Taiwan to set up a stall at the event to show solidarity with the country’s fight to protect democracy, human rights and the rule of law — values shared by Taiwan and Europe — as it seeks to repel Russia’s invasion.
Grzegorzewski said the event was “bittersweet.”
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
“On the one hand, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the EU’s presence in Taiwan, 20 years in which our relationship has only gotten stronger and deeper, but on the other hand, the unthinkable in Europe has happened. War has returned to Europe on a scale that we had not witnessed since the end of the Second World War,” he said.
Grzegorzewski invited visitors to visit the Ukrainian stall and the festival’s nearly 100 other stalls serving food and drinks, and showcasing European culture.
Relations between Taiwan and Europe have made significant progress over the past few years, as evidenced by the 19 resolutions passed last year by the European Parliament and several national parliaments supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said.
Wu highlighted frequent visits by delegations of European officials to Taiwan, the government’s plan to establish a representative office in Milan, Italy, and the commencement of direct flights between Taipei and Prague in July.
SHARED VALUES
“As a force for good, Taiwan is committed to working closely with Europe and all democratic partners to safeguard our shared values and much cherished democratic way of life,” Wu said.
“We will continue to steadfastly support Ukraine in resisting authoritarian expansionism,” he added.
At the stall set up by the group Taiwan Stands With Ukraine, bilateral friendship-themed products were sold as part of a campaign to raise about NT$140,000 to purchase an ambulance for Ukraine. It would be the second ambulance funded by the Taiwanese public to be sent to the war-torn country.
One of the stall’s patrons, Johnny Lei (雷英敏), said he purchased a T-shirt bearing a print to show Taiwan’s solidarity with Ukraine and two packs of drip bag coffee, spending NT$1,150 in total.
Lei said he donated an additional NT$2,000 to support the fundraiser.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
POLICY UNCHANGED? Despite Trump’s remarks, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured that US policy toward Taiwan has remained consistent since the 1970s US President Donald Trump on Wednesday again refused to make clear his stance on protecting Taiwan from a hypothetical takeover by China during his presidency. Asked by a reporter during a Cabinet meeting whether it was his policy that China would never take Taiwan by force while he is president, Trump declined to give a definitive answer. “I never comment on that,” he said. “I don’t comment on it because I don’t want to ever put myself in that position.” Trump also reiterated that he has a “great relationship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and said that Washington welcomes good relations with
RSS