TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Reinhard Butikofer, chair of the German-Taiwan Civil Forum, held talks on Sunday with former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) upon her arrival in Berlin for the Berlin Freedom Conference.

Butikofer, a former member of the European Parliament, said they discussed economic cooperation, the development of civil society, and how to advocate for freedom and democracy, per CNA. They also discussed plans for Taiwan’s semiconductor industry to invest in Dresden. He described it as “a pleasant, open, and friendly dialogue.”

He noted that Tsai has visited several European countries since leaving office in 2024. “Many Germans have admired Tsai and hoped she would come to Germany — now she finally has,” he said.

Under Tsai’s leadership, Taiwan placed greater emphasis on Europe, Butikofer said, which led European countries to increasingly recognize Taiwan’s importance as a key partner in the semiconductor supply chain and as a source of experience in public health, cybersecurity, and combating disinformation.

He also said European perceptions of China are shifting. In the past, attention focused mainly on human rights issues, such as Tibet and Xinjiang, while more Europeans now view the challenges as relating to security and institutional resilience. This has led the region to seek deeper cooperation with Taiwan, building a “partnership based on shared values,” Butikofer said.

Commenting on Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s (蕭美琴) recent keynote at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China summit, Butikofer said having Tsai and Hsiao visit Europe in the same week “would have been unthinkable five years ago.”