Taiwan Vice President Makes Rare Europe Visit
| Event | Ventotene Conference for Freedom and Democracy |
|---|---|
| Location | Ventotene, Italy |
| Key Attendees | Hsiao Bi-khim, Lin Chia-lung, Oleksandra Matviichuk |
Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim has traveled to Italy to attend an international forum on democracy, marking a rare European trip by a top leader from the island. Hsiao is attending the event alongside Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, according to a brief statement from Taiwan’s presidential office. High-level visits by senior Taiwanese officials to Europe remain unusual due to the potential for diplomatic friction with Beijing, which views the island as its territory.
Secrecy Surrounding the Trip
The details of the visit were not announced in advance. Pina Picierno, a vice president of the European Parliament, publicly acknowledged the visit and noted that Hsiao’s schedule had been kept unannounced until she arrived to safeguard her attendance. Writing on social media, Picierno defended the delegation’s presence, stating that “intimidation cannot decide who participates in our democratic debate.”
Conference Agenda and Delegation
The gathering, known as the Ventotene Conference for Freedom and Democracy, is taking place on the Italian island of Ventotene from Thursday through Saturday. Other prominent international attendees scheduled to participate include Oleksandra Matviichuk, head of Ukraine’s Centre for Civil Liberties and a 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Taiwan’s presidential office indicated that further details regarding the delegation’s activities will be released after Hsiao and Lin complete the trip and return to Taipei.
Background
Italy, alongside the vast majority of nations, does not maintain official diplomatic relations with Taiwan. While Taiwanese foreign ministers regularly make international visits to countries lacking formal ties, trips by officials as senior as the vice president are far less frequent due to anticipated pressure from China.
Beijing claims Taiwan as a Chinese province, an assertion rejected by the island’s democratically elected government. The trip to Italy follows an appearance by Hsiao in Europe last November, when she addressed the annual meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China at the European Parliament in Brussels.
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