Taiwan’s Economic Affairs Minister tours Europe to deepen trade, semiconductor resilience, and supply-chain ties

Taiwan's Minister of Economic Affairs Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫)  concluded a high-level visit to Europe in early December, MOEA said in a press release.

According to a press release, Minister Kung Ming-hsin emphasized Taiwan’s role as a reliable economic partner and discussed geopolitics and global supply-chain realignment during meetings in Brussels and elsewhere.

At the 2026 Taiwan Economic Forum in Taipei, hosted by Wealth Magazine on Dec. 15, the press release stated that Minister Kung had just returned from a trip to Europe, where he met with officials from Czechia, Poland, and the European Union.

The press release noted that "supply chain resilience" emerged as a central topic throughout these exchanges. Minister Kung highlighted that in the past, trade negotiations under globalization mainly focused on market access and tariffs. However, since the U.S.-China trade war began in 2018, there has been growing recognition of the importance of the supply chain, initially prompting "supply chain relocation" during the pandemic, and now an emphasis on building "supply chain resilience."

Kung's visit to Europe

According to a separate MOEA press release, Minister Kung Ming-hsin led a delegation to Poland from Dec. 9 to 11. The press release stated that on Dec. 10, he attended the "Taiwan-Poland Business Forum" and presided over the unveiling ceremony of the Taiwan Trade and Investment Center in Warsaw.

The press release quoted Minister Kung as saying that exchanges between Taiwan and Poland have become closer. He also noted that Poland could leverage Taiwan's AI supply chain capabilities to secure the European Union's "AI Gigafactory" designation.

The press release added that, during the event, Minister Kung witnessed representatives from Taiwan's Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and Polish company Terra Hexen sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on cooperation in drones.

The MOEA wrote that Minister Kung Ming-hsin stated that Poland is Taiwan's largest export market for drones. He expressed hope that Taiwan and Poland could seize business opportunities in the "non-red supply chain" of drones, working together to build a safe and reliable drone industry ecosystem, it added.

The MOEA noted that on Dec. 12, Minister Kung co-hosted the Taiwan-EU Trade and Investment Dialogue in Brussels with Sabine Weyand, Director-General for Trade and Economic Security at the European Commission. That this was not only the first time Minister Kung led a delegation to Brussels but also the first time that the dialogue served as the highest-level platform for advancing bilateral trade and investment cooperation between Taiwan and the European Union, the MOEA said.

Taiwan and the EU exchanged views on topics ranging from climate-related trade measures to global steel overcapacity, while also holding in-depth discussions on strategic issues such as economic security and semiconductor supply chain resilience, the MOEA said.

The MOEA quoted Minister Kung as saying that Taiwan is responding to the global trend toward supply chain de-risking and diversification with a strategy framed as “rooting in Taiwan while expanding globally.” He emphasized that Taiwan is strengthening its technological and manufacturing capabilities to enhance international competitiveness.

The MOEA stated that Minister Kung highlighted efforts to establish overseas trade and investment service centers to support Taiwanese firms in diversifying their global presence and deepen industrial linkages with key economic partners such as the European Union.

The MOEA also noted that Minister Kung met separately with Kerstin Jorna, Director-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs (DG GROW), to exchange views on industrial policy and potential areas of cooperation. He also hosted a forum with Taiwanese business representatives in Brussels to better understand their investment operations and challenges in Europe.

Experts' take on Taiwan and Europe

A research report published on Dec. 16 by the Central European Institute of Asian Studies noted that since the early 2020s, relations between Taiwan and Europe have gained significant momentum, both at the level of EU institutions and among individual member states.

The report said that long-standing partners from Western Europe, many of which had contacts with Taiwan during the time they maintained diplomatic ties with the Republic of China, continue to maintain strong economic and political connections with the island.

At the same time, the research highlighted the emergence of new partners in Central and Eastern Europe. Countries such as Czechia, Lithuania, and Poland, which had limited interaction with Taiwan in previous years, have renewed and strengthened their engagement with the island since the start of the decade.

These countries have become politically active supporters of closer ties with Taiwan and are keen to build new economic links across various industries. The report also noted that they have played a growing role in shaping Europe’s evolving approach toward Taiwan.

Dr. Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, Affiliated Researcher at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Visiting Fellow at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, wrote on LinkedIn in mid-December that she believes the EU continues to recognize Taiwan’s geostrategic importance for Europe’s prosperity and security.

Ferenczy also stated that cooperation with Taiwan should remain central to European efforts to strengthen defense and invest in Europe’s competitiveness.

Konrad Young (楊光磊), CEO of the Industrial-Academia Innovation College at National Taiwan University of Science and Technology and a former TSMC director, told TCN on Dec. 15 that it is important for Taiwan to better understand Europe. He said he recently visited France and observed that the integration of technology into daily life there is comparable to Taiwan. He emphasized the value for Taiwanese youth to learn more about the rapidly changing world.

He added that Europe has a strong tradition in fundamental science, which can be useful when applying scientific knowledge to new technologies. He also noted that while France is known for its culture and luxury goods, its defense and aerospace industries are among the world’s best, offering lessons for Taiwan’s semiconductor sector.

On Dec. 17, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Wu Chih-chung (吳志中) wrote on Facebook at a youth-focused event that Taiwan-Europe relations are deepening. He noted that in the past, many Europeans confused Taiwan with Thailand, but now Taiwan is widely recognized.

He also pointed out that in 2024, naval ships from countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Türkiye all passed through the Taiwan Strait.