Lai outlines goals to European group

CABLES, CHINA: The president said peace in the region is crucial to the European economy, while the delegations leader said that Europe’s support is a consensus

• By Jonathan Chin / Staff writer, with CNA

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Taiwan will continue to counter sabotage targeting undersea Internet cables, as well as China-directed transnational repression in collaboration with the democratic world, President William Lai (賴清德) told European lawmakers at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.

The nation is a trustworthy partner to the world’s alliance of democracies and will stand steadfast in the global fight against transnational repression, Lai told a meeting with a Formosa Club delegation headed by Latvian member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols.

The Formosa Club is an inter-parliamentary group of pro-Taiwan European legislators.

Member of the European Parliament Rihards Kols, left, and President William Lai hold a joint statement signed by Formosa Club members at the Presidential Office in Taipei yesterday.

Photo: CNA

Taiwan thanks the Formosa Club’s members for their support in words and action that have aided the nation and improved solidarity among liberal democracies, Lai said.

The club has repeatedly issued statements urging greater cooperation between the Legislative Yuan and the European Parliament, and support for Taiwan’s quest to participate in international frameworks, Lai said.

The European lawmakers have also expressed concern over China’s hegemonic expansion, as well as emphasized the importance of peace in the Taiwan Strait to the Indo-Pacific region and Europe, he said.

Peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region are crucial to the European economy, Lai said.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and tensions in the Taiwan Strait are reminders that democracies must build partnerships with like-minded countries to safeguard peace, he said.

Taiwan remains committed to bolstering its defense industrial base and self-defense capabilities, and cooperating with Europe to forge secure supply chains for artificial intelligence, semiconductors and drones, he said.

The Formosa Club’s members, who represent a diverse political spectrum, are united in their support of Taiwan, said Kols, who handed Lai the club’s joint annual resolution.

The statement was signed by more than 30 lawmakers from across Europe and issued at the annual meeting of the Formosa Club in Taipei on Saturday last week.

Europe’s support for Taiwan is a consensus that transcends party divides and will endure changes in government, Kols said.

While Taiwan and other democratic societies might have different histories and responsibilities, they nonetheless “share an interest in a world where threats do not decide whom we meet, how we trade or how our people choose their future,” he said.

The resolution was offered in this spirit, reflecting a “friendship built over time” and a “clear understanding that Europe and Taiwan have much to contribute to each other’s security,” he said.

The Baltic countries and Taiwan share a determination to control their destinies and be free of interference from hegemonic powers on their doorsteps, he said.

The resolution this year emphasizes cooperation between Taiwan and Europe to establish trustworthy supply chains in strategic industries, secure undersea cables from malicious attacks and oppose unilateral changes to the cross-strait “status quo,” he said.

The club reaffirms its support for Taipei’s bid to meaningfully participate in the proceedings of international organizations and furthering the mutually beneficial friendship between Taiwan and Europe, he said.