Tien, Chung-kwang
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs
Republic of China (Taiwan)
November 15, 2022
(As Prepared for Delivery)
Ladies and gentlemen:
Good evening!
It is a great pleasure and privilege to be here to celebrate King's Day of the Kingdom of Belgium. On behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and Minister Jaushieh Joseph Wu, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to His Majesty King Philippe and the people of Belgium on this auspicious occasion.
Belgium is an important European partner of Taiwan. Our two countries enjoy substantive exchanges in many fields based on the shared values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. Belgium is Taiwan's fifth-largest trading partner in the European Union. In 2021, bilateral trade amounted to 3.42 billion US dollars, an increase of 56 percent over 2020. We also cooperate in the renewable energy, ICT, biotech, and chemical industries. Belgian companies, including Jan de Nul and the DEME Group , have been important partners in developing Taiwan's offshore wind potential. Last year, Solvay, a world-leading chemical firm, formed a joint venture with Taiwan's Shinkong to produce semiconductor-related materials to meet booming demand.
In this context, the 22nd Taiwan-Belgium Joint Business Council Meeting was held virtually in May this year, with a focus on the semiconductor industry. Taiwan and Flanders also signed a framework memorandum of understanding on cooperation in January, seeking to expand upon our existing collaboration on investment, renewable energy, education, employment and vocational training, public health, and science.
I want to thank Belgium for its continued support of Taiwan over the years. The Belgian government has repeatedly voiced support for Taiwan's participation in the World Health Assembly. Since July 2020, the Belgian Chamber of Representatives, Belgian Senate, Flemish Parliament, and Walloon Parliament have adopted pro-Taiwan resolutions. These have expressed support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations, reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and promoted closer cooperation and exchanges with Taiwan.
I am also grateful to the Belgian Office, Taipei, for its efforts to enhance bilateral relations over the years and to bring our peoples even closer. As the pandemic abates and border restrictions are gradually lifted, I believe people-to-people exchanges and the close relations between Taiwan and Belgium will continue to grow.
Belgian beers, fries, waffles and chocolates enjoy high reputation and get more and more popular in Taiwan. The Belgian Chardonnay will be added to that list as well, which came out once again in the international competition as world's best Chardonnay. In addition, the outstanding performance of the Belgian national football team, Red Devils, is also well-known in Taiwan.
In closing, I look forward to working closely with our Belgian friends to promote and deepen our bilateral relations. I would like to once again express my warmest wishes to our Belgian friends. I wish everyone a wonderful evening and the best of health and happiness. Thank you!