TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s representative to the US, Alexander Yui (俞大㵢), called for more European support at an Atlantic Council forum on Tuesday.
Yui said Taiwan and China are fundamentally different, which is why cooperation among like-minded partners is essential, per CNA. This collaboration should extend beyond policy to include manufacturing as well, he said.
He added that forming a China-free supply chain was key to avoiding becoming victims of coercion, such as in the case of rare earth minerals.
Regarding how to integrate regional and European democratic partners to strengthen regional defense, Yui said that the most important step is for European friends to speak up for Taiwan and visit the country. Such visits would show the public that Taiwan is not isolated, that it has international friends willing to stand against China’s coercion, and demonstrate their support as partners of Taiwan, he said.
Yui said that Taiwan is a democracy and a key technology-driven economy. It is also the fourth-largest trading partner of the US and home to the world’s fifth-largest stock market, he said.
The representative emphasized that Taiwan has lived under Chinese pressure for decades, facing existential threats and political isolation. While China has grown stronger and more prosperous, Taiwan has often been excluded from the international arena, he said.
He warned that China’s ambitions extend beyond Taiwan, affecting countries such as Japan, the Philippines, and Australia.
