TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Dutch House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan motion supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and global affairs.

The motion, which was adopted by a majority vote on Tuesday (Oct. 8), was introduced on Sept. 30 by representatives Martijn van Helvert of the ruling Christian Democratic Appeal and Roelof Bisschop of the Reformed Political Party. The motion calls for the Dutch government to follow the footsteps of the U.S. and Australian governments and explore ways to support Taiwan’s international participation within the structure of the European Union, reported CNA.

This is the first time that the Dutch House of Representatives passed a proposal backing Taiwan’s presence in the international community. Taiwan’s representative to the Netherlands, Chen Hsin-hsin (陳欣新), expressed gratitude for the support from the Dutch representatives, adding that the Taiwanese government looks forward to deepening cooperation with the Netherlands on various international matters.

The representative office attributed the support from the Dutch representatives to the efforts of its staff and the overseas Taiwanese community in the Netherlands. According to the office, Taiwanese in the Netherlands filed a petition with the House of Representatives earlier this year in hopes of raising awareness about Taiwan’s situation on the global stage, and some of the petitioners were later received by representatives Pia Dijkstra and Raymond de Roon.

In addition, the representative office has in the past year published articles through the Dutch media and sent a letter to the Dutch House of Representatives as part of an effort to bring attention to the challenges Taiwan has faced due to pressure from China.