The 2026 Taipei Annual Meeting of the "Formosa Club" opened today (24th). Michael Gahler, chairman of the annual meeting and chairman of the European Parliament's Taiwan Friendship Group, made a blunt speech that Taiwan's advantage lies in understanding China, and Europe must learn from and listen to Taiwan. Foreign Minister Lin Jialong also echoed that Taiwan is willing to share its experience in countering cyber attacks, disinformation and hybrid threats with Europe. The two sides should learn from each other and jointly protect the front line of democratic defense.
Keller said that Russia and China are out-and-out authoritarian regimes that regard war, hybrid warfare and economic coercion as means to achieve their interests. They must plan for Russia and China’s long-term unfriendly and hostile behavior towards the democratic world. This requires cooperation, which is exactly what the Formosa Club is doing. China supports Russia behind the scenes technically and possibly in other ways, and also allows the North Korean puppet to send troops to European soil. This is an extremely unfriendly behavior. "So not only Russia, but also China, let us say it clearly and respond accordingly."
Keller pointed out that China is increasingly changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait and affecting the regional atmosphere. Europe must not only pay more attention to it, but also strengthen its presence, speak out and exchange information as much as possible, including Taiwan's understanding of China's activities and intentions. He told his Taiwanese friends, "Your advantage is to understand all this." Europe must benefit from it in many ways, especially learning and listening.
Lin Jialong said that the front lines of freedom are no longer separated by geography. In July this year, China implemented the "National Unity and Progress Promotion Law", which uses vague and arbitrary standards such as "undermining national unity" to assert jurisdiction over overseas organizations and individuals. As long as people of any nationality speak, Beijing will not Any country may become a target. This not only affects Taiwan, but also directly challenges the freedom of speech and rule of law in parliaments of various countries and all democratic societies. We call on partners with similar ideals to counterattack unanimously. Taiwan has chosen to maintain peace with strength, is strengthening self-defense and the resilience of the whole society, and is willing to share its experience with Europe.
Keller also said that the European Parliament and the parliaments of many countries have been promoting the establishment of closer, broader and deeper relations with Taiwan, maintaining the "one China policy" rather than the "one China principle" on the other side of the Taiwan Strait. Under the one China policy, pragmatic exchanges with Taiwan should be expanded and deepened as much as possible. Lin Jialong thanked the European Parliament and national parliaments for opposing China's unilateral changes in the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and refuted China's distortion of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, sending a clear message that "Taiwan's future must be determined by the Taiwanese people."
On the economic front, Lin Jialong reiterated that "economic security is national security." He said that Russia's war against Ukraine shows that excessive economic dependence can be turned into a tool of coercion at any time. Taiwan and its partners have built a trustworthy "non-red supply chain" that can complement Europe's precision manufacturing and industrial technology expertise in the fields of AI and drones. Keller said that Europe is now starting to take measures against China in the economic field. "I think it may be a little too late, but we are taking measures." He also mentioned that Taiwan is currently investing heavily in Arizona, and believes that this interdependence is a good thing. It clearly shows that "we need Taiwan to remain stable, democratic, predictable and protected."
Keller finally thanked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the preparatory team, and also thanked the participants who "were not intimidated by the other side" and had the courage to come. "We will continue to have the courage to come."
The "Formosa Club" was established in October 2019 at the call of the European Parliament and the Chairman of the Taiwan Friendship Group of Britain, Germany, and France. It is currently composed of members of the European Parliament, European countries, and Canada. This is the second annual meeting in Taipei. About 52 members of Congress from the European Parliament and 19 European countries visited Taiwan to attend.
