Press Release
Legislative Yuan
December 20, 2022
Legislative Yuan President You Si-kun receives a 13-member delegation from the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade
You Si-kun: I hope that democratic allies will cooperate to safeguard Taiwan’s democracy and liberty and catalyze China’s democratization
Accompanied by Chairman Tsai Shih-ying and Deputy Chairman Chen I-hsin of the Taiwan-European Parliamentary Friendship Association; Taiwan People’s Party Whip Chiu Chen-yuan; New Power Party Whip Chiu Hsien-chih; Secretary General Lin Jih-jia; Consultant Chou Ya-shu; Deputy Foreign Minister Tsai Ming-yen; and Legislators Chen I-hsin, Chiu Chen-yuan, and Chiu Hsien-chih; Legislative Speaker You Si-kun received the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade today, December 20, at 12:15 p.m.
President You began his speech by welcoming the distinguished guests and thanking the European Parliament for the 25 resolutions passed in the past two years favorable to Taiwan. He also thanked Vice President Nicola Beer for her public support during her visit to Taiwan in July and for stating that only the people of Taiwan can decide their own future. The president was also very pleased to meet with MP Reinhard Bütikofer, who said that despite the sanctions imposed by the Chinese Communist Party, it could not stop the two sides from defending democracy and freedom.
President You went on to praise Europe as the birthplace of democracy, and the European Parliament as a platform for democratic communication and coordination that enabled countries to reach consensus, cooperate and lead Europe forward. Since the beginning of the war between Russia and Ukraine, the European Parliament had condemned Russia and given Ukraine the status of EU candidate, which shows its influence.
President You went on to point out that in the face of the Chinese Communist regime’s internal oppression and external expansion, as well as its refusal to renounce the use of force against Taiwan—a bulwark of democracy in the Chinese cultural sphere—China poses a threat to global peace and stability as well as to freedom and democracy. At a time when the international democratic landscape is shrinking, he called on democracies worldwide to cooperate in defending Taiwan’s democracy and freedom and working to catalyze China’s democratization.
The president also said that Europe is his idol and the birthplace of modern democracy, where such things as Montesquieu’s separation of powers, Rousseau’s social contract, and Locke’s natural human rights originated. He concluded by thanking the European Parliament again for its support of Taiwan, and pointed out that although Taiwan and Europe are on opposite sides of the globe, democracy and freedom are the common language of both sides. As democratic partners, he closed, nations must defend the universal values of democracy, freedom, and human rights, and work for global peace and stability.
In response, MP Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou thanked President You for the warm welcome. She noted that bilateral relations between Taiwan and Europe are based on common values such as respect for democracy, freedom, rule of law, and human rights. She stressed that a majority of European Parliament members support Taiwan. She then took the opportunity to thank Taiwan for standing on the right side of history in support of Ukraine. The European Parliament’s resolution on the situation in the Taiwan Strait reiterates its condemnation of any threat of violence and its hope that the status quo will be maintained in the Taiwan Strait in accordance with the one-China principle and that the future of a democratic and free Taiwan will be left to the people of Taiwan to decide.
MP Asimakopoulou continued by saying that the delegation’s visit is expected to further strengthen the alliance between Taiwan and Europe, as Taiwan is an important trade partner of the European Union, and European direct investment in Taiwan accounts for 25 percent of Taiwan’s foreign direct investment, or more than the total investment by the United States and Japan. Trade has been weaponized in the new multipolar international order, and therefore Taiwan’s strategic position should be reinforced. Especially since the pandemic, Taiwan has played a key role in supply chain resilience. As such, she said she hopes her visit will lead to greater in-depth exchanges with government agencies and the semiconductor industry, and that the European Parliament will continue to urge the European Council and the Executive Committee to accelerate signing a bilateral investment agreement between Taiwan and Europe and continue to support Taiwan’s membership in international organizations.
Prior to a subsequent luncheon, President You expressed sincere welcome to the members of the European Parliament on behalf of Taiwan’s legislature as well as his hope that the visitors would enjoy the Taiwanese cuisine. The two sides then enjoyed the luncheon in a pleasant atmosphere and had in-depth discussions about many topics of mutual concern.
A translation of President You’s remarks is as follows:
Honorable MPs Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou, Jörgen Warborn, Kathleen Van Brempt, Marie-Pierre Vedrenne, Karin Karlsobro, Michiel Hoogeveen, Reinhard Bütikfer, Martti Kalaus; Diederik De Smedt, Nina Ferrucci, Johanna Lundber, Ghiara Miglioli, and Andrea Gugkueknu; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tsai Ming-yen; Legislators Tsai Shih-ying, Chen I-hsin, Chiu Chen-yuan, and Chiu Hsien-chih; Secretary General Lin; Consultant Chou; ladies and gentlemen: good morning!
I am pleased to meet with our esteemed guests. On behalf of Taiwan’s legislature, I extend a very warm welcome to you. In July, I led a delegation to Europe and made a lot of new friends. I was touched at the attention and support paid by European countries to Taiwan.
The European Union is Taiwan’s staunch democratic ally. I want to thank the European Parliament for having passed 25 resolutions in support of Taiwan over the past two years. This has included backing for our international participation and concern for the security of the Indo-Pacific region, the situation across the Taiwan Strait, and China’s economic coercion of Lithuania. Other resolutions supported Taiwan-EU semiconductor economic cooperation and the early signing of a bilateral investment agreement. On behalf of Taiwan’s legislature, I want to thank the European Parliament for your support.
When Ms. Nicola Beer, Vice President of the European Parliament, visited Taiwan in July, I was unable to receive her in person as I was in Europe. However, I was impressed by her open call that only the people of Taiwan can decide Taiwan’s own future. Self-determination is a fundamental principle espoused in the United Nations Charter, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Vice President Beer for her support of Taiwan. I would also like to thank MP Bütikfer, who is here today. I meet you for the first time, but I feel very close to you because we are both under Chinese Communist sanctions. This is an honor and a recognition of our efforts to protect democracy and freedom. Thank you for your support of Taiwan in the international arena. I also admire your concern for the human rights of minorities in China.
Europe is the birthplace of democracy, and the European Parliament is a supranational parliament. Countries with different cultures and languages communicate and coordinate through democratic mechanisms to reach consensus and cooperation there. The organization thus helps to lead the developmental direction of Europe, as evidenced by the European Parliament’s decision to grant Ukraine EU candidate status on June 23 and to condemn Russia as a “state supporting terrorism” in November after the war between Ukraine and Russia.
I welcome you to Taiwan, where you can witness for yourself the fact that democracy and freedom can be realized in a Chinese-speaking society. The Chinese Communist Party’s authoritarian regime engages in repression at home and expansionism abroad, pursues wolf-warrior diplomacy, refuses to renounce the force against Taiwan, and bears a mentality of “those who affront China must pay even if they are a thousand miles away.” This has posed a great threat to global peace and stability and freedom and democracy. Taiwan is a bulwark of democracy in the Chinese cultural sphere. At a time when the international democratic landscape is gradually shrinking, I would like to call on democracies everywhere to cooperate in protecting Taiwan’s democracy and freedom and catalyze China’s democratization. I hope that, in the near future, the people of China will be able to live a free and democratic life as happily as we do.
Finally, I would like to thank the European Parliament once again for its support of Taiwan. Although Taiwan and Europe are far apart, democracy and freedom form a common language and we are democratic allies. Finally, I wish you a pleasant and safe trip!