On a brisk November morning in Taipei, Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim stepped off her flight home, her return marking the end of a landmark diplomatic trip to Europe that has sent ripples through the corridors of power in Beijing and Brussels alike. The timing wasn’t lost on anyone: Hsiao’s visit came just as former President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in Berlin on the anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, a day symbolizing the triumph of freedom and democracy. The message from Taiwan’s leaders was clear—Taiwan is reaching out, determined not to stand alone on the global stage, regardless of the pressure from across the strait.
Hsiao’s journey was anything but routine. While Taiwan’s foreign ministers have occasionally ventured abroad, it’s rare for an official of her seniority to visit Europe, given the ever-present risk of Beijing’s backlash against host nations. Yet, on November 7, 2025, Hsiao addressed lawmakers and experts from around the world at the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), held inside the European Parliament in Brussels. According to Reuters, her speech carried an unmistakable message: “Taiwan is not alone. We have more and more like-minded friends around the world who are willing to walk with us. And we will continue, with confidence, pragmatism, and firm steps, to show the world Taiwan’s resolve, goodwill, and the power of our democracy.”
The significance of Hsiao’s appearance wasn’t lost on her compatriots. Upon her return, she told reporters at the airport that Taiwan’s international situation has been “extremely difficult,” but emphasized that the island “has never backed down, because it should have the chance to participate in the international community.” The speech, and its venue, were kept confidential until the last minute due to security concerns. These worries weren’t without merit; earlier in 2024, Czech intelligence reported that Chinese agents had discussed plans to force Hsiao’s car off the road during a visit to Prague, when she was still vice president-elect, as Euractiv reported. The stakes, clearly, were high.
Beijing’s reaction was swift and predictably uncompromising. On November 10, 2025, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian announced at a regular press briefing that China had “lodged serious protests with the European Parliament on the Taiwan independence politician’s activities in the building of the European Parliament.” The Chinese mission to the European Union described Hsiao’s visit as a “serious interference in China’s internal affairs” and accused the European Parliament of “undermining China’s core interests … and seriously eroding political mutual trust.” The statement, published by Bloomberg and Reuters, left little room for ambiguity: China views Taiwan as part of its territory and has never renounced the use of force to “reunify” with the island.
In her speech, Hsiao didn’t mince words about the challenges facing her homeland. She called Taiwan and its 23 million people “a victim of coercion” by China, a pointed reference to Beijing’s ongoing campaign to isolate Taiwan diplomatically and economically. As The Straits Times noted, Hsiao’s remarks came at a time when the European Union is growing increasingly concerned about China’s restrictive trade measures and its economic support for Russia since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The EU, for its part, has been trying to defend its industries from a wave of competition from China and has grown frustrated with Beijing’s economic and diplomatic maneuvers.
Yet, not everyone in Europe was willing to accept Beijing’s framing of the situation. MEP Miriam Lexmann (EPP), one of the hosts of the IPAC event, publicly rebuffed China’s accusations on social media. “I hate to break it to @ChinaEUMission, but the ‘One China principle’ is not a ‘universal consensus’,” she wrote, adding that UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, which recognizes the People’s Republic of China as the representative of China at the UN, “does not address Taiwan’s sovereignty.” Lexmann concluded, “We have every right to build relations with Taiwan, and it was both my honour and privilege as a parliamentarian to host the Vice-President.”
The European Parliament, unlike the national legislatures of EU member states, is not bound by the same diplomatic constraints—none of the EU’s 27 members have formal relations with Taipei. This, according to Euractiv, made Hsiao’s address inside the Parliament especially significant, both symbolically and practically. The office of European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, when asked for comment, had not responded by press time.
Meanwhile, former President Tsai Ing-wen’s presence in Berlin added another layer to Taiwan’s diplomatic push. Arriving on November 10, 2025, Tsai’s trip coincided with the anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall—a powerful symbol for anyone advocating democracy and freedom. She met with Reinhard Butikofer, co-chairman of the German-Taiwanese Dialogue Platform and a longtime supporter of closer ties between Taiwan and Europe. Butikofer emphasized the symbolism of Tsai’s visit, saying it “symbolizes standing together for freedom.” Tsai herself wrote on Facebook before leaving Taiwan that Hsiao’s trip to Brussels was of “extraordinary significance for Taiwan,” underscoring the sense of momentum behind these diplomatic overtures.
The Berlin Freedom Conference, where Tsai was scheduled to speak, brings together figures from various sectors to “push democracies to act with greater clarity, purpose and confidence” in an increasingly multipolar world, according to the event’s website. It’s a fitting stage for Taiwan’s message, especially as Beijing campaigns to isolate the island on the global stage and pressures countries to sever formal ties with Taipei. The administration of President Lai Ching-te, like Tsai before him, has sought to counter this isolation by building relationships with other democracies.
China, for its part, has not shied away from pressuring European countries to toe its line. During his November 10 press briefing, Lin Jian called on Germany to “oppose Taiwan independence moves, avoid sending any wrong message to Taiwan independence separatist forces and take concrete actions to uphold overall bilateral relations.” The message was clear: Beijing expects its European partners to fall in line, even as voices within Europe—like Lexmann’s—insist on their right to engage with Taiwan as they see fit.
For Taiwan, these events mark a turning point of sorts. As Hsiao said upon her return, “We have more and more like-minded friends around the world who are willing to walk with us.” The coming months will reveal just how far those friendships can go and whether Taiwan’s strategy of engagement can outpace Beijing’s campaign of isolation. For now, the island’s leaders are making it clear: they won’t be standing still, and they certainly won’t be standing alone.
