Taiwan Makes Inroads Into Europe as China Battles West

China’s efforts to ostracize Taiwan internationally appear to be backfiring — at least in Europe — where the self-ruled, democratic island is finding ways to circumvent diplomatic obstacles, Gabriel Dominguez reported for The Japan Times.

Highlighting this approach was Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s Brussels visit last week. (Photo: European Parliament) 

Not only is Taipei welcoming more European delegations than ever before, it’s also dispatching both current and former senior officials to the continent to try to institutionalize cooperation, particularly in the fields of trade and security.

Highlighting this approach was Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s Brussels visit last week, where she called on a group of lawmakers assembled in the European Parliament to boost bilateral relations in a number of areas, arguing that “global prosperity depends on a strong and free Taiwan.”