Taiwan’s deputy leader urged the European Union to boost security and trade ties with the self-governing island and support its democracy in the face of growing threats by China, in a rare address to a group of international lawmakers in Brussels on Friday.
“Peace in the Taiwan Strait is essential to global stability and economic continuity, and international opposition against unilateral changes to the status quo by force cannot be overstated,” Vice President Bi-Khim Hsiao told lawmakers assembled for a China-focused conference in the European Parliament building.
While Hsiao did not formally address the whole EU Parliament — the European trade bloc does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan — her visit drew ire from China.
“In an era marked by increasing fragmentation, volatility and rising authoritarianism, this gathering affirms something vital — that democracies, even when far apart, are not alone,” she added to a standing ovation in a small chamber of the European Parliament.
Hsiao also called on the lawmakers from countries including Germany and Spain to collaborate more on trusted supply chains and AI technology with Taiwan, the island off China’s east coast that Beijing claims as part of its territory and says must come under its rule.
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I absolutely agree with her. Europe has to stand up to chinas bullying, if not because it’s morally right then because Taiwan effectively has a monopoly on computer chips and therefore every single aspect of our modern economies.
China has repeatedly shown that it is willing to use any leverage to blackmail and sabotage european nations that don’t do its bidding. If we don’t protect Taiwan out of moral obligation, then we should do it out of an egoistical necessity to keep the fate of our continent out of chinese hands.Wouldn’t it also be a good idea to invest in local solutions for chip technologies? Like heavily promote open designs of RISC-V that can eventually replace current chips
Of course. But it will be many years before we can come close to manufacturing modern chips. And no one is even working on it yet.
RISC-V is being worked on, the Netherlands are home to the company that allows for the production of chips by TSMC, we are able to quickly (relatively to others) develop European capacity for chip production
Even China with all the sanctions imposed on them are getting very close to local chip production, the Taiwanese monopoly will end eventually
Having the lithography tech in Europe is a huge help, but there is a ton of other stuff that goes into building chips which comes from all over the world. It’s still a very long road. AFAIK there are not even plans to build a modern fab yet.
China has been able to build chips for a long time, just not modern ones. And they aren’t that close now. I suspect they are just eating extremely low yields with massive subsidies to get where they are today as they are doing it all with lithography designed for larger nm chips.
AFAIK there are no plans to build fabs and that can change if there’s political will
Even with low yields it’s impressive what they have achieved, despite the sanctions, and they don’t seem close to shutting the tap of investment in R&D
Why shouldn’t Europe, with all it’s advantages, attempt to craw back some autonomy?
I absolutely agree that we should. But I don’t think it is happening very quickly.
Agreed
Yes AND supporting the independence of any place that wants it is also a good thing.
Taiwan is not alone, vice president says after breakthrough Europe trip
"Taiwan is not alone. We have more and more like-minded friends around the world who are willing to walk with us,” she said. “And we will continue, with confidence, pragmatism, and firm steps, to show the world Taiwan’s resolve, goodwill, and the power of our democracy.”
sure, let EU come up with sanctions against China for the good of Taiwan