TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan Minister of Justice Tsai Ching-hsiang (蔡清祥) met his German counterpart, Marco Buschmann, in Berlin on Tuesday (July 4), where the two discussed criminal matters of mutual concern.
The visit took place within the framework of the EU’s “one China” policy, the German Ministry of Justice said in a statement. Buschmann shared on Twitter that he and Tsai talked about mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, internet fraud, and extradition issues.
Germany inked a criminal matters agreement in judicial cooperation with Taiwan in March, making it the seventh European country to have a formal bilateral judicial agreement with Taiwan. The agreement provides better protection for Germans and Taiwanese and facilitates more bilateral exchanges amid increasing challenges stemming from the pandemic and cross-border crime, according to the Taiwan foreign ministry.
Relations between Taiwan and Germany have been steadily improving in recent years. In January, a German parliamentary delegation visited Taiwan and met with high-level government officials to exchange views on bilateral ties and learn more about Taiwan’s security situation.
In March, German Minister of Education and Research Bettina Stark-Watzinger became the first German cabinet minister to visit Taiwan in 26 years. During her visit, she oversaw the signing of the Scientific and Technological Cooperation Agreement between Taiwan and Germany.
