Taiwan seeks to strengthen cooperation with Europe through foreign minister’s trip  

Taipei, Taiwan   — Taiwan’s foreign minister, Lin Chia-lung, wrapped up a weeklong trip to Europe Sunday after meeting European lawmakers in Brussels and overseeing efforts to deepen bilateral cooperation in developing drone technology between Taiwan and Lithuania.

Analysts say the trip was part of Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to deepen engagement with European countries and reflected the current administration’s attempt to focus on facilitating practical and tangible cooperation with individual nations.

“European countries and members of the European parliament have pushed for tangible cooperation that the EU and Taiwan can both agree on, so focusing on deepening bilateral ties is a more realistic approach for Taiwan as it can help tangible examples of economic cooperation to materialize,” Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, an expert on EU-Taiwan relations at National Dong Hwa University in Taiwan, told VOA.

During his seven-day trip, Lin met with several members of the European Parliament in Brussels and visited the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre, which focuses on nanoelectronics and digital technologies. Lin has made economic and trade diplomacy his priority since becoming Taiwan’s top diplomat in May.

Lin also led a delegation of representatives from 20 Taiwanese drone companies to Lithuania. They attended a forum on drone technologies and signed two agreements that will facilitate collaboration in the unmanned aerial vehicle industry.

The signing of the agreements is part of Taiwan’s efforts to build a domestic drone manufacturing industry, which the government sees as an important part of enhancing the island’s overall defense capabilities in the face of increasing military pressure imposed by China.

Beijing views Taiwan, a self-governing island, as an inalienable part of its territory that should one day reunite with the mainland, by force if necessary.

In September, Taiwan gathered more than 50 domestic drone manufacturers and established the Taiwan Excellence Drone International Business Opportunities Alliance, which has been building drone development partnerships with other countries. On November 16, the alliance signed an agreement to promote drone development with the Polish-Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Experts say Lin’s trip can help Taiwan broaden the scope of economic cooperation with central and eastern European countries beyond the semiconductor industry.

By focusing on developing partnerships in drone development with Lithuanian companies, “the trip allows the conversation around economic engagements with Taiwan to move beyond the focus on semiconductors,” Marcin Jerzewski, the head of the Taiwan Office at the European Values Center for Security Policy, told VOA by phone.

Other European analysts say since central and eastern European countries, especially Lithuania, play an important role in supplying drones to Ukraine in Kyiv’s ongoing fight against Russia, Taiwan’s emphasis on deepening bilateral cooperation in this sector could resonate with these countries’ priorities. 

Since Taiwan is deepening cooperation over drone technology “with Lithuania and Poland, two front-line countries that have nuanced and realistic views of the threats coming from Russia, this development can help improve the defense capabilities in central and eastern Europe,” Matej Šimalčík, executive director of the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, or CEIAS, told VOA by phone.

During a dinner ceremony marking the third anniversary of the establishment of Taiwan’s representative office in Lithuania on November 20, Lin said he expects Taiwan and Lithuania to expand the bilateral partnership and “work toward the common goal of promoting peace and prosperity.”

Lithuania’s recalibration

Despite Taiwan’s attempt to deepen engagement with Lithuania, Lin’s trip comes at a time when Lithuania’s potential new government is considering improving relations with China after Beijing downgraded diplomatic relations with the Baltic country in 2021 following the establishment of Taiwan’s representative office in the country.

Gintautas Paluckas, the candidate that the Social Democratic Party wants to make prime minister after coming out on top in elections last month, expressed his desire to “normalize” relations with China. He spoke during an interview with Lithuanian national broadcaster LRT on October 31.

“Having normal relations is certainly an aspiration because the EU – even though relations with China will not be rosy, they will argue about the economy, about tariffs, about protectionist measures […] – but the EU is trying to maintain diplomatic relations. We cannot fall out of this context and call it leadership,” he said.

Ferenczy said as Lithuania rethinks its engagement with China, Taiwan’s focus on deepening economic ties will be more “productive” to the sustainability of bilateral ties as it could avoid triggering potential retaliation from China.

“It will help circumvent member states’ reluctance to engage with Taiwan and instead bring the kind of engagement that helps both sides,” she told VOA.

Ferenczy adds that successful bilateral cooperation with European countries can help consolidate Taiwan’s engagement with the European Union as a whole.

“Building up stronger bilateral relationships will help consolidate Taiwan’s cooperation with the EU, as countries that have substance to their partnerships with Taiwan may be more willing to embrace Taiwan at the European level,” she said.

In response to questions about Lin’s trip to Europe, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing opposes any form of official interaction between Taiwan and countries having diplomatic ties with China.

“The EU should abide by the one-China principle, stop any form of official interaction with the Taiwan authorities, and stop sending wrong signals to ‘Taiwan independence separatist forces,’” he said during a press conference on November 20.

Lin Chia-lung’s trip marks the third time a high-level Taiwanese delegation has visited Europe since Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te won elections in January. As Taipei continues to deepen engagement with European countries, Jerzewski said the Lai administration should consider establishing a coherent approach to manage its relations with Europe. 

“Taiwan still doesn’t have a concrete strategic document that allows European stakeholders to understand how Taiwan wants to engage with them, and in order to make Taiwan’s ties with Europe more sustainable, such a document is important,” he told VOA.
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