"EU members, like most countries including the US, have no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan and follow a “one China” policy. But the EU and Taiwan share common democratic values as well as close trade ties, and the bloc opposes any use of military force by China to settle its dispute with Taiwan.
Hsiao also drew parallels between Taiwan suffering cyber-attacks and having its undersea internet cables cut by China, and hybrid attacks faced by European nations since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“Europe has defended freedom under fire, and Taiwan has built democracy under pressure,” she said.
She said that China’s disruptions of global supply chains – likely a reference partly to Beijing’s throttling of rare earth exports to the EU earlier this year – should push Brussels to forge with Taiwan “a reliable technology ecosystem rooted in trust, transparency and democratic values” like they already have for semiconductor sales."
"Ben Bland, director of the Asia-Pacific programme at the London-based thinktank Chatham House, wrote in an analysis last month that despite the lack of formal diplomatic relations, the EU and Taiwan could do much more to deepen ties for mutual benefit in the face of worsening US-China rivalry. Any conflict over Taiwan could have afar more devastating impact on Europe than Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, given Taiwan’s leading role in semiconductor and electronics supply chains, he wrote."
