Premier Su Tseng-chang on Monday welcomed a delegation from the European Parliament Committee on International Trade. The premier said that although geographically distant, Taiwan and Europe share a common love of freedom, democracy, the rule of law, human rights and other universal values. When Russia invaded Ukraine, Taiwan immediately joined the EU to condemn Russia as a totalitarian dictatorship whose use of military force against Ukraine had jeopardized regional peace. At the same time, Taiwan did everything in its power to provide Ukraine with assistance and supplies. Taiwan supports the freedom-loving Ukrainian people in their battle of resistance against Russian aggression.
On the economic front, Premier Su noted that trade between Taiwan and the EU continues to grow. Between January and October this year, total bilateral trade achieved double-digit growth over the same period last year. This shows that despite the upheaval of the COVID-19 pandemic, Taiwan has been able to maintain social stability and achieve impressive economic and national growth.
The premier thanked members of the delegation for repeatedly speaking up for Taiwan within the European Parliament and at international events. Premier Su added that he hoped committee members would share their experiences in Taiwan with colleagues on their return to parliament and would continue to voice support for Taiwan. Meanwhile, Taiwan hopes it can further strengthen bilateral economic cooperation with the EU to achieve mutual benefits, the premier said.
In her remarks, vice chair of the European Parliament's Committee on International Trade, Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou, said that they very much appreciated Taiwan's decision to stand on the right side of history regarding the situation in Ukraine, and Taiwan's measured response and clarity in the face of escalating threats from China. She also quoted from the recent resolution passed by an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament that states: "On the democratic island of Taiwan, it is up to the people to decide how they want to live."
Vice Chair Asimakopoulou also remarked that Taiwan and the EU have a robust trade and investment relationship. In 2021 Taiwan was the EU's 12th largest trade partner and as of the end of 2021, the EU has accounted for 25.7% of Taiwan's foreign direct investment, more than the US and Japan combined. The European Parliament also supports strengthening the Taiwan-EU trade and investment relationships, and hopes to deepen bilateral supply chain collaboration and sign a bilateral investment agreement.