Taipei: Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen is set to travel to Berlin this Saturday to address the Berlin Freedom Conference, marking a significant step in Taiwan’s ongoing efforts to strengthen ties with Europe, her office announced on Wednesday. The visit highlights Taiwan’s persistent push for international engagement despite its diplomatic isolation and Beijing’s consistent opposition to such moves.
Tsai, who stepped down from office last year, remains a prominent political figure in Taiwan. Her upcoming speech aims to foster cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Germany, as well as with other like-minded democratic countries across Europe. Her visit comes after a series of diplomatic initiatives, including trips by Taiwan’s current Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung to Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Italy in September, which sought to expand Taiwan’s footprint on the continent.
Taiwan, formally known as the Republic of China, maintains formal diplomatic relations with only the Vatican in Europe. However, several countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Lithuania, and Poland, have allowed visits by Taiwan’s senior officials despite objections from China. Beijing views Taiwan as a province of China with no sovereign rights and has consistently opposed international recognition or participation of Taiwanese officials. China severed a regular dialogue mechanism with Taiwan after Tsai took office in 2012 and continues to regard her successor, Lai Ching-te, as a “separatist.”
China’s foreign ministry had not immediately commented on Tsai’s upcoming trip, though Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi recently warned Germany to oppose “Taiwan independence.” Meanwhile, Tsai’s office emphasized that her visit enjoys full support from Taiwan’s current leadership, reflecting a united domestic strategy to enhance Taiwan’s relations with Europe.
Analysts note that Tsai’s European outreach underscores Taiwan’s geopolitical positioning. By cultivating partnerships with democratic European nations, Taiwan aims to counterbalance Chinese influence and raise its international profile. For Germany and other European countries, engagement with Taiwan presents both an opportunity to support democratic values and a challenge in managing relations with Beijing, given Europe’s substantial economic ties with China.
This visit situates Taiwan’s diplomatic strategy within a broader global context, signaling that the Taiwan Strait and cross-strait relations are not solely regional matters but have implications for Europe and global security. Observers will be closely watching both the substance of Tsai’s speech and the responses from Berlin and Beijing, which could shape the trajectory of Taiwan-Europe relations in the coming months.