A delegation comprising seven members of the European Parliament arrived Nov. 3 in Taiwan on a three-day visit aimed at learning more about the country’s ongoing efforts to counter disinformation and defend democracy.
Led by Raphael Glucksmann of France, chair of the EP Special Committee on Foreign Interference in all Democratic Processes in the European Union, including Disinformation (INGE), the group comprises MEPs Andrius Kubilius and Petras Austrevicius of Lithuania, Marketa Gregorova of Czechia, Andreas Schieder of Austria, Georgios Kyrtsos of Greece and Marco Dreosto of Italy.
Members will meet with President Tsai Ing-wen, Premier Su Tseng-chang, Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun, Digital Minister Audrey Tang and Mainland Affairs Council Minister Chiu Tai-san. They will also take part in a series of roundtable discussions with civil organizations, media outlets and think tanks.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this is the first official delegation from the EP to visit Taiwan and is in keeping with unprecedented support from the legislative body for the country. This is evidenced by 12 resolutions to date in 2021 backing Taiwan, the MOFA said, highlighting last month’s EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation report calling for enhanced bilateral ties.
Taiwan is on the front line of composite and disinformation attacks by hostile external forces, the ministry said. The government is committed to working with the EP to counter this aggression and turn back the tide of authoritarianism, the MOFA added.
In a tweet on its official Twitter account, the ministry said “A warm #Taiwan welcome to @Europarl_En’s #INGE delegation. We wish the 7 MEPs a rewarding visit aimed at getting up to speed on efforts to disarm disinformation, #DefendDemocracy & boost cyber resilience while promoting an environment for freedom of expression & information.” (SFC-E)
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