Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung received Michael Müller and Andreas Larem, both members of the German Bundestag, Sept. 16 in Taipei City, pledging to continue working with Taiwan’s democratic partners to counteract authoritarianism.
Both parliamentarians are members of the Social Democratic Party and serve on the Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs. This is their first visit to Taiwan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
According to Lin, as authoritarian regimes including China continue to challenge rules-based international order, democracies around the world need to stand in unity to strengthen their economic and social resilience. Taiwan is willing to share with European partners its experiences in combating China’s hybrid tactics, misinformation campaigns and economic coercion, he said.
The minister commended the recent crossing of the Taiwan Strait by German naval vessels to defend freedom of navigation and welcomed the de-risk policy of the EU and the EU member state. He also praised the recent investment by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in Dresden as a milestone in the two-way relations, anticipating the two sides will continue expanding their trade and economic partnership.
In response, Müller and Larem both stressed the importance of unity among democracies against authoritarian expansion. It is important for members of the free world to enhance cooperation in their economies, technology and culture to build resilience, they added.
Later the same day, the two parliamentarians attended a lunch hosted by Deputy Foreign Minister François Chihchung Wu. The deputy minister cautioned that China’s aggression is not only a cross-strait issue but a severe challenge to rules-based international order. He said Taiwan looks forward to collaborating further with its European partners to ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. (SFC-E)
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