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Taiwan vice president makes rare trip to Europe for parliament speech
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 7, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 7, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Taiwan's VP Hsiao Bi-khim visits Europe, addressing the European Parliament to bolster diplomatic ties and highlight Taiwan's role in global stability.
TAIPEI (Reuters) -Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim made an unusual visit to Belgium on Friday and spoke at a meeting with lawmakers at the European Parliament, part of an increasingly bold outreach to Europe by the Chinese-claimed and democratically governed island.
Taiwan's only formal diplomatic ties in Europe are with the Vatican, but countries from Britain and France to Lithuania and Poland have disregarded Beijing's complaints to allow visits by acting or former senior Taiwan officials.
While Taiwan foreign ministers on occasion visit Europe and other parts of the world that have no formal ties to Taipei, it is rare for an official as senior as the vice president to do so, given the risk of Chinese backlash against the host nation.
Hsiao spoke at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China's annual summit, held in the European Parliament in Brussels.
"Europe has defended freedom under fire. And Taiwan has defended democracy under pressure," the alliance quoted Hsiao as telling the meeting.
"I stand here as a voice for a society deeply committed to the ideals that animate the parliaments of democracy around the world," she added.
China's mission to the European Union did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Taiwan's government says it has the right to engage with other countries and that China has no right to claim the island or to dictate Taipei's actions.
Taiwan's presidential office said Hsiao, a fluent English speaker who was previously the de facto ambassador to the United States, was accompanied by Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung.
Hsiao said stability across the Taiwan Strait was a cornerstone of global prosperity.
"Despite being excluded from international organisations, Taiwan has stepped up. We contribute to humanitarian aid. We uphold global standards even when we are not allowed a seat at the table," she said.
Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen will visit Berlin to address a conference next week.
In September, Lin travelled twice to Europe, visiting Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland and Italy.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei this week, Lin said that he went to Europe to strengthen relations and that his ministry had set up a Europe task force.
(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Edmund Klamann)
A foreign currency is any currency that is not the domestic currency of a country. It is used in international transactions and can be exchanged for the local currency.
Humanitarian aid refers to assistance provided to people in need, often in response to crises such as natural disasters or conflicts, aimed at saving lives and alleviating suffering.
Global stability refers to a state of international peace and security where countries maintain cooperative relationships, reducing the likelihood of conflict and promoting economic growth.
An international financial institution is an organization that provides financial support and advice to countries for development projects and economic stability, such as the World Bank or IMF.
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