Taiwan VP Hsiao’s Europe visit signals potential for higher-level Taiwan-Europe engagement, experts say

Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) latest visit to Europe, including a speech at the 2nd European Conference of Ventotene for Freedom and Democracy, marks more substantive and higher-level engagement between Taiwan and Europe, experts said. 

The visit

Hsiao returned to Taiwan on Sept. 14 after completing her European trip. Assigned by President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), she traveled to Italy at the joint invitation of European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno and Carlo Corazza, head of the European Parliament’s office in Italy, to attend and address the 2nd European Conference of Ventotene for Freedom and Democracy.

At a news conference after returning to Taiwan, Hsiao said the trip had not been announced in advance in order to avoid unnecessary disruption. Its greatest significance, she said, was that Taiwan’s voice had been heard at a place of profound historical importance. Even in difficult circumstances, Taiwan would continue to stand courageously with the world.

Hsiao’s appearance in Italy drew strong protests from China, according to Taiwan’s CNA. Picierno responded that the European Parliament’s agenda, and especially the itinerary of its vice president, would not be determined by Beijing.

Picierno also said that free people speak the same language and recognize one another. She said she was pleased to accept Hsiao’s invitation to visit Taiwan and expected to arrange the trip in the coming weeks or months.

Taiwan-Europe relations

Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chen Kuan-ting (陳冠廷), convener of the Legislative Yuan’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, told TCN that Hsiao’s visit to Italy showed that Taiwan-Europe engagement is continuing to move toward a higher-level and more institutionalized relationship.

Picierno’s stated interest in visiting Taiwan, he said, suggests that the exchanges are not a one-off event but could develop into sustained engagement.

Wang Hung-jen (王宏仁), a political science professor at National Cheng Kung University, expressed a similar view. He told TCN that Hsiao’s trip represented clear progress in political stature, agenda-setting and the broader significance of Taiwan-Europe interaction.

Hsiao is Taiwan’s sitting vice president and attended the event at the invitation of a serving European Parliament vice president, Wang said, giving the visit considerable political symbolism.

Citing Hsiao's attendance at last year's Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China summit at the European Parliament and her subsequent appearance at a major democracy forum in Italy, Wang said Taiwan's political engagement with Europe is steadily building and such visits could eventually become more regularized.

In terms of issues, Wang said, Taiwan’s links with Europe are no longer confined to economic and trade cooperation.

Ventotene holds a special place in European history as a symbol of European integration, democratic values and resistance to authoritarianism, he said. By speaking there, Hsiao placed Taiwan and cross-strait issues within Europe’s own historical experience of democracy and security, rather than presenting them as distant regional concerns.

Wang added that this underscores the connection between Taiwan and Europe, as both face authoritarian pressure and share an interest in safeguarding democratic institutions.

Diminishing effectiveness of Beijing’s pressure

Wang said the visit also reflects the declining marginal effectiveness of China’s efforts to pressure European countries over Taiwan-related exchanges.

Chen shared that assessment, saying that despite continued pressure from Beijing, Taiwan's vice president was still able to publicly attend a democracy forum in Europe and appear alongside prominent European political figures. The message was clear that Taiwan's international space should not be determined by Beijing, Chen added.

Wang said China has long sought to influence other countries’ Taiwan policies through political and economic means, but the results may not match Beijing’s expectations and could even prove counterproductive.

Using Italy as an example, he said Chinese pressure and influence operations could instead prompt some European countries to place greater value on policy autonomy and cooperation among democracies.

Chen called on Beijing to recognize that Taiwan remains willing to reduce miscalculation and confrontation through dialogue. Peace across the Taiwan Strait requires restraint from both sides, he said, and China should replace coercion with dialogue.

A potential Picierno visit to Taiwan

If Picierno's visit to Taiwan goes ahead, Wang said, its significance would extend beyond a one-way trip, potentially helping establish a mechanism for reciprocal visits and exchanges, an outcome China would be particularly reluctant to see.

The European Parliament is a formal EU institution, Wang noted, and while its vice president may not speak for the EU's overall foreign policy, the position still carries significant diplomatic and political weight.

More importantly, Wang said, such a visit could generate a demonstration effect.

If a visit to Taiwan by senior European Parliament figures sets a precedent, Wang said, it could increase the likelihood of future by the European Parliament president, officials from EU executive bodies, or other senior European political figures. 

On whether reciprocal visits by senior EU executive officials could help Taiwan-Europe relations achieve a broader breakthrough, Wang said the key lies in the political attitude of the EU’s executive institutions.

The EU retains a considerable degree of discretion in implementing its one-China policy, he said, and existing rules do not necessarily explicitly prohibit high-level reciprocal exchanges with Taiwan.

“The real question is whether EU officials are willing to withstand potential political pressure from China and demonstrate policy autonomy, rather than limiting exchanges out of concern over Beijing’s reaction,” Wang added.