At 11:30 a.m. on May 6, President Daniel K.Y. Han (韓國瑜) of the Legislative Yuan, accompanied by DPP Legislator Chiu Yi-Ying, Chair of the Taiwan-Australia and New Zealand Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association, KMT Legislator Huang Jen, TPP Legislator Dr. Liu Shu-Pin, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Ming-Chi, and others, received a four-member cross-party parliamentary delegation from New Zealand led by MP Maureen Pugh.
President Han first extended a warm welcome to the delegation and noted that legislators from all three parties in Taiwan were present at the meeting, demonstrating the high importance the Legislative Yuan attaches to its friendship with New Zealand. President Han stated that, for many people in Taiwan, New Zealand is a beautiful and vibrant country. Its high-quality agricultural products, including dairy products, kiwifruit, and cherries, are well known throughout Taiwan, while rugby is also highly representative of the country. Recalling his own visit to New Zealand, President Han said he had been deeply impressed by the magnificent mountains and rivers featured as filming locations for The Lord of the Rings, adding that New Zealand’s beauty has become deeply rooted in the hearts of the people of Taiwan. He emphasized that the people of Taiwan and New Zealand are both warm and kind, and expressed hope that the two sides would continue to deepen exchanges in such areas as trade, culture, tourism, and education. He also sincerely invited members of the delegation to visit Taiwan again and experience more deeply its people and landscapes.
Delegation leader MP Pugh stated that the delegation included members from four political parties in New Zealand, reflecting a spirit of cross-party cooperation. She also noted that New Zealand and Taiwan have similar political systems. While members of parliament may take different positions during the legislative examination process, they are able to stand united on issues of diplomacy and regional security. She emphasized that New Zealand and Taiwan share many core values, including economic cooperation, cultural exchange, and strong people-to-people ties. These shared values are especially important amid the current geopolitical turbulence, making it all the more urgent to deepen bilateral relations. She further pointed out that both New Zealand and Taiwan are relatively small countries. Although New Zealand has a small population, it possesses ample food production capacity and continues to play an important role in the international community. She added that island nations are relatively vulnerable in the international environment and therefore need to strengthen their friendship and cooperation to enhance overall resilience.
Legislator Chiu warmly welcomed the New Zealand delegation and noted that the Agreement between New Zealand and the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu on Economic Cooperation (ANZTEC), signed in 2013, was actively promoted during her tenure as convener of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee and was subsequently examined and passed by the Legislative Yuan. She stated that the agreement has laid an important foundation for economic and trade cooperation between Taiwan and New Zealand. She expressed hope that she would have the opportunity to visit New Zealand in the future to further deepen exchanges and cooperation with various sectors there and jointly inject new momentum into bilateral relations.
Legislator Huang stated that although Taiwan and New Zealand are geographically far apart, they share many commonalities in indigenous rights, cultural diversity, and sustainable development. New Zealand has been a global pioneer in the protection of indigenous rights. Its extensive experience with arrangements such as the Treaty of Waitangi and the Māori Council has long served as an important reference for Taiwan in promoting indigenous self-governance and cultural revitalization. He expressed hope that the two sides would continue to deepen cooperation in such areas as indigenous affairs, culture, youth empowerment, and environmental sustainability.
Legislator Liu thanked New Zealand’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on Taiwan for organizing delegations to visit Taiwan on three occasions during the current 11th Legislative Yuan. She emphasized that Taiwan and New Zealand are staunch partners in the Indo-Pacific region in the pursuit of democracy and freedom, and that the economic and trade links established under ANZTEC have become deeply rooted across sectors. In the face of the current turbulent situation, she highly commended New Zealand’s support for peace across the Taiwan Strait. She also sincerely sought the delegation’s views on how New Zealand could help Taiwan respond to economic coercion through the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as well as how the two sides could deepen cooperation in emerging sectors such as digital trade, green energy transition, and semiconductors, and put resilient diplomacy into practice.
During the meeting, the two sides exchanged greetings in Taiwan’s indigenous languages and New Zealand’s Māori language, creating a warm and cordial atmosphere. They also exchanged views on Taiwan-New Zealand exchanges and cooperation, the CPTPP, and other related issues. The meeting lasted approximately 40 minutes and concluded with an exchange of commemorative gifts and a group photo. (2026/05/06)
