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Lawrence Chung

Germany will stand up for Taiwan if the self-ruled island faces military threats from Beijing, a senior German lawmaker told Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen.
“We will bravely stand up to assist and support Taiwan if it faces such military threats,” said Klaus-Peter Willsch, chairman of the German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, in a meeting with Tsai at her office in Taipei on Monday.
He added that the German parliament’s support was reflected in various documents and discussions.
Willsch is leading a cross-party parliamentary delegation on a five-day visit to Taiwan that began on Sunday despite protests from Beijing.
US will continue to strengthen ‘unofficial ties’ with Taiwan, says Harris
Tsai told him that the island had been facing serious threats from Beijing, including a series of unprecedented live-fire military drills staged by the People’s Liberation Army around Taiwan in August.
Willsch said Ukrainians were also fighting for freedom and democracy following Russia’s invasion.
He said the German parliament valued bilateral cooperation and exchanges between Berlin and Taipei, especially in promoting ties with Taiwan.
“Taiwan is an important trading partner of Germany in Asia,” Willsch said, adding the island’s semiconductor industry had contributed greatly to global industry.


Tsai told Willsch that in addition to threatening the island, the PLA’s war games in August had affected regional stability.
The PLA held unprecedented war games encircling Taiwan in August in retaliation for a high-profile visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Beijing saw the trip by Pelosi, the highest-ranking American politician to travel to the island in 25 years, as a breach of its one-China principle.
Beijing considers the island a part of China and has never ruled out the use of force to take control of it. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state. Washington, however, opposes any attempt to take the island by force.

Tsai said Germany, which holds the rotating presidency of the Group of 7, voiced its firm support for Taiwan and peace in the Taiwan Strait through the G7 foreign ministers’ joint statement during the PLA war games.
“For this, I offer my utmost thanks to Germany on behalf of the Taiwanese people,” she said.
She also thanked the German parliament for approving a resolution to support Taiwan’s participation as an observer in the World Health Assembly, the WHO’s decision-making body.
Pompeo in Taiwan calls for end to US ‘blind engagement’ with Beijing
Willsch and five other German lawmakers – Katrin Budde, Till Steffen, Frank Schaeffler, Rainer Kraft and Caren Lay – were the first German parliamentary group to visit Taiwan since the Covid-19 pandemic began in late 2019.
The group is expected to meet Taiwanese Vice-President William Lai, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu, legislative president You Si-kun and other senior officials and business leaders during their stay on the island.
On Sunday, Beijing’s foreign ministry protested against the visit, saying Taiwan is a part of Chinese territory and that Germany must respect the one-China principle by stopping any official contacts with the island.


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Taiwan

Germany will ‘bravely stand up’ for Taiwan against PLA threats: senior lawmaker

Klaus-Peter Willsch, chair of the German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, meets Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in Taipei on Monday. Photo: Office of the President, Taiwan

Willsch’s delegation is the first German parliamentary group to visit Taiwan since the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2019. Photo: Office of the President, Taiwan

Chinese envoys help plan likely visits to Beijing by French and German leaders

 Chinese President Xi Jinping and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris in 2019. Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz are said to be planning separate trips to Beijing next month. Photo: Getty Images

French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New York on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in New York during the UN General Assembly on Wednesday. Photo: dpa

Beijing asks German businesses to ‘help Europe view China correctly’

Beijing hopes that German businesses can play a role in “helping Europe view China correctly”. Photo: Reuters

Taiwan’s first English TV channel to tell its side of China story

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen at the TV operations launch of TaiwanPlus, in Taipei on October 3. Photo: Handout

President Tsai Ing-wen (third left) and other Taiwanese officials at the launch of the TaiwanPlus channel. Photo: Handout

US will continue to strengthen ‘unofficial ties’ with Taiwan, vice-president Kamala Harris says

Kamala Harris spoke to US sailors at a base in Yokosuka, Japan. Photo: Reuters

News

China

Diplomacy


Delegation head tells Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen the Bundestag will support Taipei in the face of military pressure from Beijing
First visit by German parliamentary group since beginning of Covid-19 pandemic draws protests from mainland China



Delegation head tells Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen the German parliament will support Taipei in the face of military pressure from Beijing.


Germany

China-EU relations