Brussels: Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim made history on Friday as the first Taiwanese vice president to deliver a speech in a European parliament while in office, addressing the 2025 summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) in Brussels.
According to Focus Taiwan, her presence and remarks at the European Parliament were highlighted by IPAC, a global alliance of lawmakers from various countries and political parties seeking to reform their governments’ China policies, in a social media post written in multiple languages including Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish. The post included three photos showing Hsiao speaking to IPAC members, accompanied by Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung.
In her address, Hsiao underscored the importance of democratic solidarity amid rising authoritarian pressure, calling for democracies to stand together in defending shared values of openness, transparency, and the rule of law. She emphasized that democracies, despite geographic distances, share common values and responsibilities.
Hsiao highlighted Taiwan’s efforts to build “whole-of-society resilience” through civic preparedness, cybersecurity, and trusted economic partnerships. She asserted Taiwan’s role as a thriving democracy and key player in global supply chains, emphasizing its indispensability to international stability and prosperity.
She further drew attention to the need for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, warning that China’s attempts to alter the status quo run counter to international consensus. Hsiao stressed that Taiwan’s significance lies not in victimhood but in its contribution to the integrity of the international system and global prosperity.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Fan Yun, one of Taiwan’s two IPAC co-chairs, praised Hsiao’s speech, noting the enthusiastic response from lawmakers from over 50 countries. Fan described the standing ovation and the eagerness of attendees to engage with Hsiao.
The 2025 IPAC global assembly marked Taiwan’s first participation as an official member, following its membership acquisition at the 2024 summit in Taipei. During the event, Fan and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) lawmaker Chen Gau-tzu served as co-chairs.
IPAC had previously condemned China for an alleged collision plot against Hsiao’s car during her visit to Prague in March 2024. Fan noted that similar acts of intimidation by China have targeted citizens of Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom, leading to policy responses from these countries.
Fan also mentioned the reaffirmation of friendship by Paraguayan lawmakers, representing Taiwan’s diplomatic ally, and discussed the challenges faced by parliamentarians from countries without formal diplomatic ties to Taiwan, who expressed a strong desire for economic cooperation despite pressure from Chinese embassies.
She concluded by asserting that these challenges are precisely what IPAC aims to address, highlighting the alliance’s significant impact in countering such pressures.