Overview
- In a Nov. 7 speech hosted by the Inter‑Parliamentary Alliance on China inside the European Parliament, Hsiao Bi‑khim delivered a rare address by such a senior Taiwanese official, with organisers saying she was the most senior from Taipei to speak in a foreign legislature without formal recognition.
- She urged closer cooperation with Europe on security and trade, calling cross‑Strait stability a cornerstone of global prosperity and warning against unilateral changes to the status quo by force.
- Her pitch included collaboration on trusted supply chains and AI, and she linked Taiwan’s cyberattacks and undersea cable disruptions to the hybrid threats confronting European nations.
- China’s mission to the European Union condemned the visit as serious interference in China’s internal affairs that undermines political trust between Beijing and the EU.
- The trip, kept quiet for security reasons and accompanied by Foreign Minister Lin Chia‑lung, followed reported 2024 threats against Hsiao in the Czech Republic; returning to Taipei, she said Taiwan is not alone and will keep engaging the world.