Taiwan’s vice president on rare Europe visit which China calls ‘despicable’

TAIPEI, Sept 11 (Reuters) – Taiwan Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim is making a rare visit to Europe, attending a forum on democracy in Italy along with Taipei’s foreign minister, the presidential office said on Friday, as China condemned such overseas trips as “despicable”.

While Taiwan’s foreign ministers on occasion visit Europe and other parts of the world that have no formal ties to the Chinese-claimed island, it is rare for an official as senior as the vice president to do so, given the risk of a backlash from Beijing against the host nation.

China says Taiwan is one of its provinces, a view the democratically-governed island strongly rejects.

Hsiao was invited to attend the Ventotene Conference for Freedom and Democracy, and is travelling with Taiwan Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung, the presidential office said in a brief statement.

China’s foreign ministry, which routinely objects to any foreign trips by Taiwanese leaders, said it had lodged “solemn representations” with Italy and the European Union over the trip.

“The Democratic Progressive Party authorities and certain politicians have spared no effort to seek attention everywhere,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said in Beijing, referring to Taiwan’s ruling party.

“Such behaviour is despicable and ultimately futile.”

Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani will not meet the Taiwanese officials, and there are also no plans for meetings at the prime minister’s office, two people familiar with the matter said.

The Ventotene conference opened on Thursday and continues until Saturday.

Early on Friday Asia time, Pina Picierno, vice-president of the European Parliament, announced on her Facebook page that Hsiao was attending the conference, saying her presence had initially been kept secret due to concerns about Beijing’s reaction.

“Since the Chinese regime still uses threats and intimidation to prevent Taiwanese political leaders from participating in free conferences, her presence was kept secret to ensure she could actually arrive,” Picierno added in video comments from the conference. 

Italy, like most countries, has no formal relations with Taiwan, though the Vatican is one of Taipei’s 12 remaining diplomatic allies. 

Taiwan and Italy both maintain de facto embassies in each other’s capitals, and there are direct flights between the two.

Last November, Hsiao spoke at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China’s annual summit, held in the European Parliament in Brussels.

Taiwan has sought closer ties with Europe, especially since the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Europe has its own disputes with China, over both trade imbalances and also its criticism of what it sees as Chinese support for Russia.

Hsiao has previously been sanctioned by China for being an “independence diehard”.

Taiwan’s government says only the island’s people can decide their future. 

(Reporting by Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Additional reporting by Alvise Armellini and Angelo Amante in Rome, and Laurie Chen in Beijing; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman, Michael Perry and Kate Mayberry)