Taiwan’s Vice President Addresses European Parliament as Beijing Tightens Grip — A Warning for America
In a move that underscored both courage and defiance, Taiwan’s Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim delivered a surprise address at the European Parliament in Brussels, signaling the island’s growing international engagement even as Beijing’s shadow looms large. Her unannounced appearance — at the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) — was more than a diplomatic statement. It was a declaration that Taiwan refuses to be silenced, and a reminder to democracies everywhere, particularly the United States, that China’s influence operations are not confined to Asia but extend deep into Europe and beyond.
Hsiao’s message was clear and resonant: “Europe has defended freedom under fire. And Taiwan has defended democracy under pressure.” These words carried more than symbolic weight. They reflected the alignment between nations that value democratic resilience and the growing understanding that Taiwan’s survival is not just an Asian issue — it’s a global one.
Beijing’s reaction is expected to be fierce. Every time a foreign legislature opens its doors to Taipei’s representatives, China protests with threats and sanctions. But the pattern of intimidation reveals something deeper — Beijing’s fear that Taiwan’s democratic success undermines its authoritarian narrative. As the world’s only ethnic Chinese democracy, Taiwan represents an alternative vision of what China could be — free, pluralistic, and accountable to its citizens. That is precisely why Beijing is determined to isolate it.
Hsiao, who previously served as Taiwan’s envoy to Washington, understands this dynamic well. She reminded European lawmakers that Taiwan “matters to the world” not only for its political values but also for its economic importance. The island produces more than 90% of the world’s most advanced semiconductors and nearly half of all other chips. Without Taiwan, global technology — from smartphones to fighter jets — would grind to a halt.
This reality is precisely why Beijing’s ambitions toward Taiwan represent not just a regional flashpoint, but a global economic threat. Should China succeed in taking control of the island, it would gain dominance over the world’s most critical technology supply chain. The result would be catastrophic — granting Beijing leverage over the very foundation of the modern digital economy. For Americans, this would mean not only strategic vulnerability but also the loss of a key technological partner whose democratic governance ensures trust and transparency in supply chains.
The European Union’s growing engagement with Taiwan is a reflection of lessons learned. For too long, Europe — like the United States — believed that economic engagement would moderate Beijing’s behavior. Instead, dependency became a weapon. Now, the EU has shifted its stance toward what Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls “de-risking, not decoupling.” This approach acknowledges that reliance on China for semiconductors, rare minerals, and clean technologies is no longer sustainable.
European lawmakers such as Miriam Lexmann and Bernard Guetta, who co-chair IPAC in the EU, have become vocal advocates for closer cooperation with Taipei. They argue that Taiwan’s 23 million people deserve a voice in global affairs — especially as Beijing intensifies military pressure across the Taiwan Strait. Their stance mirrors growing sentiment across democratic capitals that supporting Taiwan is not provocation, but protection — protection of an international system where might does not dictate right.
For the United States, this European momentum offers both encouragement and warning. While Washington has long been Taiwan’s strongest backer, it must not assume that support alone is enough. Beijing’s campaign to rewrite international norms is advancing rapidly — through disinformation, cyber intrusions, and economic coercion. The battle for Taiwan is also the battle for how the world defines sovereignty, freedom, and truth itself.
China’s fury over Hsiao’s European visit will likely follow the same playbook: condemnations, propaganda campaigns, and perhaps new economic measures aimed at intimidating both Taipei and Brussels. But such reactions reveal the fragility of Beijing’s position. The Chinese Communist Party cannot tolerate the existence of a successful Chinese democracy because it exposes the moral and political bankruptcy of its own regime.
In recent years, Beijing has expanded its pressure campaign through every possible channel. Military aircraft now cross Taiwan’s air defense zone almost daily. Disinformation networks attempt to sway elections not only in Taiwan but in Europe and North America. Chinese state media flood international platforms with narratives that portray Taiwan’s independence as a Western conspiracy. Meanwhile, China’s United Front operations — which cultivate politicians, business elites, and media figures abroad — aim to soften global resolve, making democratic nations doubt their own principles.
This is not simply a regional security problem. It is a coordinated effort to undermine global democracy, and America is the ultimate target. The CCP’s strategy is to weaken alliances, sow distrust, and make democracies question the cost of defending freedom. What begins with Taiwan could end with a world in which authoritarian regimes set the rules — and democracies play defense.
Hsiao’s speech also underscored the geopolitical centrality of the Taiwan Strait — the narrow body of water that separates the island from mainland China. Nearly half of the world’s container traffic passes through this corridor, making it one of the most vital trade routes on the planet. Any conflict there would send shockwaves through the global economy, disrupting supply chains, energy flows, and food security.
For the United States, whose prosperity and military posture depend on open sea lanes, defending stability in the Strait is not a matter of choice but necessity. Yet the threat is growing: Beijing’s navy now outnumbers the U.S. Navy in hull count, and its missile arsenal is designed specifically to deter American intervention. Every time Chinese warships encircle Taiwan, they are not just rehearsing invasion — they are testing Washington’s will.
America cannot afford complacency. A Chinese blockade or attack on Taiwan would not only imperil the island’s democracy but also shatter confidence in U.S. global leadership. It would embolden authoritarian regimes everywhere, proving that aggression pays and alliances waver.
Hsiao Bi-khim’s unannounced speech in Brussels may have lasted only minutes, but its implications were profound. It marked a growing recognition that Taiwan’s fate is tied to the world’s — and that defending it is about far more than geography. It’s about ensuring that democracy, innovation, and freedom remain the engines of global progress.
For Americans, this moment must serve as a reminder that the Chinese Communist Party’s ambitions do not stop at the Taiwan Strait. They extend to the very architecture of global governance, to the rules that protect speech, trade, and sovereignty. If Beijing succeeds in absorbing Taiwan, it will gain not only technological dominance but also psychological momentum — the sense that the free world no longer has the will to resist.
The United States must therefore lead with both conviction and clarity. Support for Taiwan is not a provocation; it is a defense of the principles that make democracy worth fighting for. The coming years will determine whether those principles endure — not just in Taipei or Brussels, but in every nation that believes liberty is stronger than fear.
