March 30, 2016
No. 082
At the invitation of the Republic of China government, Vice Chairman Pál Csáky of the European Parliament Committee on Petitions will lead a six-member delegation to Taiwan from March 30 to April 3, 2016. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes their visit, which will help them gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s latest economic and political developments, as well as its petition system, cross-strait relations, and bilateral trade with the European Union, thereby further strengthening the ties between the EU and Taiwan.
Other members of the delegation include MEP Maria Grapini of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection, MEP Hannu Takkula and MEP Tiziana Beghin of the Committee on International Trade, and Political Advisor Antonio Anselmi.
The delegation will have an audience with President Ma Ying-jeou and call at the Legislative Yuan, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Justice, Mainland Affairs Council, Council of Agriculture, and European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan. Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Leo Chen-jan Lee will also host a luncheon in their honor.
In addition, the delegation will visit Southern Taiwan Science Park, National Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, National Palace Museum, Chimei Museum, and other sites of cultural and economic interest.
The 751 members of the European Parliament represent the 28 member states of the European Union and over 500 million citizens thereof, making the EP vital to the ROC’s diplomatic network in Europe. Over the past eight years, the European Union and the European Parliament have issued or passed 30 statements and resolutions friendly to Taiwan. These have shown support for Taiwan’s participation in the International Civil Aviation Organization, Schengen visa waiver treatment for ROC passport holders, and the signing of an economic cooperation agreement between Taiwan and the EU. They have also affirmed the positive development of cross-strait relations, echoed our East China Sea and South China Sea Peace Initiatives, and called on the European Commission to launch negotiations with the ROC on an investment protection and market access agreement.
The EU is Taiwan’s fifth-largest trading partner overall, and Taiwan is the EU’s seventh-largest trading partner in Asia. In 2015, two-way trade reached US$46.4 billion. European enterprises are also Taiwan’s largest source of foreign investment, with total investments reaching US$33.4 billion as of the end of January 2016, bearing testimony to the strength of bilateral economic relations.
In the future, the two sides will continue to expand their multifaceted, multilayered, and practical cooperation in such areas as science, education, customs and tariffs, information and communication technologies, judicial assistance, youth working holidays, food safety, and innovation research. (E)