Taiwan appeals to Europe in bid to secure friends beyond Trump

TAIPEI – As anxiety over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to protecting Taiwan from Chinese military aggression lingers in Taipei, the island’s officials are fanning out across Europe to shore up friendships.

Ms Hsiao Bi-khim last week became

the first Taiwanese vice-president since 2002

to visit a European country Taipei does not have diplomatic ties with, excluding brief transits. The island’s former de facto US envoy – who speaks fluent English – spoke inside the bloc’s Parliament in Brussels before an independent alliance of lawmakers who advocate a harder line on China.

Days later, former Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen delivered a speech in the German capital, warning against the perils of the “authoritarian toolkits” of nations, and drawing parallels between Beijing’s aggression towards her democratically run island and the Kremlin’s invasion of Ukraine. 

While the EU Parliament is separate from its powerful executive body and does not take the lead in setting broader policy, Taiwanese officials also secured permission from the Belgian and German governments for Ms Hsiao’s trip, as well as the bloc’s diplomatic arm, Taiwan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Francois Wu, who arranged the logistics, told Bloomberg News.

“Normally, such visits would require months to arrange, but communication for Hsiao’s trip was done in about a month, and the trip was approved by all European counterparts a few days before departure,” he added. “European capitals have realised the importance of Taiwan.”

Taiwan hopes Ms Hsiao’s trip could open the door to visiting more Parliaments around the world, according to a Taiwanese official familiar with the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. 

A spokesperson for the European Union said the bloc remained committed to its “one China” policy, but had an “interest in maintaining close relations with Taiwan, which is a like-minded democracy and an important economic and high-tech partner”. 

China’s Foreign Ministry said at a Nov 10 briefing in Beijing that it had lodged “protests with the European Parliament on the Taiwan independence politician’s activities in the building of the European Parliament”, referring to Ms Hsiao. 

Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te has ramped up a campaign to bolster Taiwan’s position on the world stage, building on efforts of the previous administration. Underscoring that outreach, the island in October welcomed 41 European lawmakers from 17 nations, one of the largest delegations it has ever received from the bloc. 

Since leaving office, Ms Tsai has focused her appearances on Europe, giving speeches in the Czech Republic, Denmark, Lithuania, Britain and Germany.  

While Europe does not have official ties with Taiwan – which China claims as its own territory – the bloc has been angered by Beijing’s refusal to condemn Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine. China’s decision to weaponise rare earths vital to everything from fighter jets to cars has further soured ties.

“As EU-China diplomatic and economic relations continue to deteriorate, Brussels and Berlin have less reason to steer clear of China’s red lines over Taiwan,” said Mr Jeremy Chan, a senior analyst on the China and North-east Asia team at Eurasia Group.

Germany’s decision to let Ms Hsiao transit and host Ms Tsai could complicate relations with China. The country’s Foreign Minister in October cancelled a trip to Beijing at the last minute, after reportedly failing to secure enough meetings. German Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil is set to travel to China next week for talks between his Social Democrat Party and Communist Party officials.

The rare display of recognition on European soil for a sitting Taiwanese politician comes as Mr Trump declined to say whether he would defend Taipei from a Chinese invasion, in line with decades of US strategic ambiguity.

The Republican last week said Beijing “understands what will happen” if the People’s Liberation Army attacks, without elaborating. Former US president Joe Biden said on four occasions he would come to the island’s defence.

In Taipei, there has been concern Mr Trump will strike a trade deal with China at Taiwan’s expense, although the US leader said the island did not come up during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.  

Meanwhile, Taiwan officials are still hoping to arrange President Lai’s transit through the US after Mr Trump denied him permission to pass through America in July, according to people familiar with the matter. Mr Trump’s planned visit to China in April could make such an arrangement politically sensitive in early 2026.

Presidential Office spokeswoman Karen Kuo said in a statement to Bloomberg that there are currently no plans for an overseas visit by Mr Lai.

Separately, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi declared last week that use of force in the Taiwan Strait could be a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, a stance legally allowing Tokyo to use force to assist the US military to defend Taiwan. 

Japan and other European countries have signalled tacit support for Taiwan in other ways. Germany in 2024 sent its first warship through the Taiwan Strait in two decades, while Japan sailed destroyers through those waters – a sign of their willingness to challenge China over the shipping lane. 

European countries, meanwhile, have increasingly become a buyer of Taiwan’s drones, a staple of modern warfare.

Ms Hsiao last week reminded officials in Belgium of Taiwan’s critical role in producing the systems that underpin the world’s “phones, cars, medical devices and defence systems”. 

“Taiwan is not just relevant,” she said. “It is indispensable to the global conversation on peace, prosperity, and the future of democracy.” Bloomberg