Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Visits Brussels, Addresses EU Parliament

Brussels – Taiwan’s foreign minister Lin Chia-lung met with MEPs in an unannounced visit to Brussels as part of his first visit to the EU to strengthen connections.

The foreign ministry in Taipei had previously reported that Lin, leading a delegation of representatives from 20 Taiwanese drone groups, was scheduled to visit Lithuania during a week-long trip starting November 17. Taiwan has been working to maintain ties with European countries as it faces increasing pressure from China, which claims the self-governed democratic island as part of its territory.

What was discussed during Lin Chia-lung’s meeting with MEPs?

MEP Rasa Jukneviciene confirmed that she met Lin and Taiwan’s former de facto ambassador to Lithuania, Eric Huang, at the European Parliament. She also mentioned that Lin was due to travel to her country on Wednesday, as noted in her post.

In response, Lin stated: “I extended my sincere appreciation to Jukneviciene … for her support during our meeting. I look forward to further strengthening bilateral relations with Lithuania, and we will work hard to achieve success.”

According to sources, Taiwan’s foreign ministry released a brief statement on Wednesday confirming that Lin “visited the European Union/Belgium to meet with friends in the European Parliament.” The ministry added that Lin “used this visit to interact and communicate with European friends,” without divulging specific details.

Most nations officially recognize Beijing over Taipei but maintain trade and unofficial relations with the island. Beijing – which has not ruled out the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control – reacts negatively to any international support that could lend Taiwan a sense of legitimacy on the world stage.

China has also responded with anger to overseas visits by top Taiwanese officials. Last year, Beijing staged massive military exercises in reaction to former president Tsai Ing-wen’s stopover in the United States. Lithuania further provoked China’s ire by allowing Taiwan to open a representative office in Vilnius under its name in 2021, in what was considered a significant diplomatic move.