Hsiao Meiqin's low-key visit to Taiwan to participate in the European Parliament Forum highlights Taiwan's use of international organizations to break through diplomatic isolation

Author, Lu Jiahong and Author, Li Chengxin Role, BBC Chinese Correspondent Posted 3 minutes ago Reading time: 3 minutes Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Meiqin appeared in Ventotene, a small island off the coast of Italy, last week to attend the Freedom and Democracy Forum hosted by the European Parliament. The trip comes at a sensitive time when Trump and Xi Jinping are scheduled to hold a summit in Washington at the end of September. Before the summit, tariffs and arms sales to Taiwan were the bargaining chips on the negotiation table between the two sides. At the same time, Xiao Meiqin, who is in Italy, did not step into the Prime Minister's Palace in Rome or meet with the Italian Foreign Minister. Instead, she took another path: accepting the invitation of the Vice President of the European Parliament and appearing in the European Parliament. This trip was deliberately kept secret and was not made public until the landing. Starting from Taipei, Xiao Meiqin and her party took about 27 hours, taking flights, changing land routes and ferries. This almost covert approach also reflects Taiwan's difficult diplomatic situation: it is not recognized by the United Nations, and under continued pressure from Beijing, every step in its external contacts must be carefully planned. Taipei has framed the trip as a diplomatic breakout, while Beijing has lambasted it as "despicable and futile." The deeper question is: In the gap between the resumption of high-level contacts between China and the United States, Taiwan has tried to open diplomatic space through Europe. From the European Parliament in Brussels last year to the parliament’s activities in Italy this year, Taiwan tried to use invitations from "non-sovereign organizations" to bypass the one-China policy of most European countries. How big a breakthrough is it? Beijing responds toughly, EU lowers tone In response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning spoke strongly at a regular press conference on September 11, saying that the DPP authorities and individual politicians "work hard to gain popularity and 'rely on foreign countries to seek independence' under the guise of democracy and freedom. This behavior is despicable and ultimately futile." Mao Ning also said that China has lodged stern representations with Italy and the EU regarding the "Taiwan independence" politicians' attendance at relevant meetings in Italy. The state-run Global Times published a commentary saying, "When a real crisis occurs, European politicians will not bear the impact of supply cuts and production shutdowns on behalf of the Taiwanese people; American politicians will not bear the risk of war on behalf of Taiwanese families." Taiwan media "United News Network" reported that the European Commission logo originally planned to be hung at the forum was removed on the day of the event. The newspaper quoted people familiar with the matter as saying that this shows that the European Commission is unwilling to affect relations with China due to Xiao Meiqin's visit. Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, a member of the academic committee of the Martens Center in Brussels and a former political adviser to the European Parliament, told BBC Chinese that Xiao Meiqin's reception by the Deputy Speaker of the European Parliament highlights the enduring importance of parliamentary diplomacy in shaping the relationship between the EU and Taiwan. Skip hot reading and continue reading hot reading End of Hot Reading "In this context, it is regrettable and short-sighted that representatives of the European Commission have canceled their attendance at the event to receive Vice President Xiao. This move may weaken an exchange of strategic value to Europe, and the Commission has clearly not yet fully appreciated its importance." Beijing's criticism of Xiao Meiqin is not surprising. In August 2022, Hsiao Meiqin, who was Taiwan's representative to the United States at the time, took the lead in inviting US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to visit Taiwan. Later, she was included in the list of "Taiwan independence die-hards" by the Taiwan Affairs Office of the Mainland China. In April 2023, after then-Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen transited the United States and met with the new House Speaker McCarthy, the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council imposed "further sanctions" on Hsiao Meiqin, banning her and her family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and stated that it would "take all other necessary disciplinary measures and pursue lifelong accountability in accordance with the law." Diplomatic “niche” cuts Although Xiao Meiqin was invited by the European Parliament, representatives of the European Commission canceled their attendance at the event to receive her, and the EU flag was not flown at the event, which reflects Taiwan's narrow diplomatic space. However, in such a space, a diplomatic path still emerges: the object of communication is neither a sovereign country, but an international organization (ie the European Union); at the same time, it is not its executive branch, but its legislative branch (the European Parliament). This double dislocation can help find a diplomatic field that is not susceptible to pressure from China. To be precise, although she is in Italy, Xiao Meiqin was not invited by the Italian government, but was invited by Pina Picierno, Deputy Speaker of the European Parliament, and the Italian Office of the European Parliament to attend the second "Ventotene European Forum on Freedom and Democracy." Ventotene itself is a site with historical weight. In 1941, anti-fascist political prisoners wrote the Ventotene Declaration on the island, which was later regarded as the source of European federalism. Lev Nachman, an assistant at the National Institute of Development Studies at National Taiwan University, believes that "even if the field is relatively niche, it is precisely because of avoiding excessive provocation that the vice-presidential level trip is possible. It is still a meaningful diplomatic opening, and it also shows that the vice president does not have to sit in Taipei alone, but can perform her best diplomatic function." The word "niche" originates from French and originally referred to a small groove on the wall used to place statues or decorations. Later, it was extended to mean a "narrow but precise" market segment or specific area. There is precedent for this “niche” path. Last November, Hsiao Meiqin attended the annual meeting of the "Indo-Pacific Parliamentarians Alliance" held in Brussels. This was also Taiwan's attempt to break through its diplomatic isolation - bypassing the official channels of EU member states and instead participating in value-oriented forums through the European Parliament or a network of transnational parliamentarians. Feng Rusha commented that the two visits showed that Taiwan takes its relationship with Europe seriously and continues to invest in deepening the partnership between the two sides. Caught between the United States and China, Taiwan’s position and breakthrough If Xiao Meiqin's trip is placed in the timeline of Sino-US interactions, the Taiwan issue is becoming one of the bargaining chips between Beijing and the United States. Xi Jinping is expected to visit Washington on September 24. Before the trip, it was reported that if the United States approves a new round of arms sales to Taiwan before the summit, it will not rule out canceling the meeting. Against this background, Hsiao Meiqin's appearance in Europe as Vice President was interpreted by the outside world as Taiwan's attempt to send a signal that "it will not be swallowed up by the rhythm of Sino-US contact." Feng Rusha told BBC Chinese that in addition to China's pressure, the real challenge now is how to narrow the gap between "what Taiwan needs the EU to do" and "what the EU is willing to prioritize." She believes that both sides need to have a clearer understanding of each other's interests and strike a balance between political symbols and concrete substantive interests. Nan Le said that Xiao Meiqin's low-key visit to Taiwan was regarded as a rare substantive diplomatic attack by Taiwan's vice president; the closest comparison in the past was Lai Qingde's trip to Japan to attend Abe's state funeral, but the level and nature were different. She kept it secret before leaving and only revealed it after arriving in Ventotene. Her speech was pragmatic and restrained, in line with her long-standing diplomat style.