TAIPEI (TVBS News) — In a carefully orchestrated diplomatic gesture reflecting Taiwan's ongoing efforts to strengthen European ties, the island's government swiftly congratulated Friedrich Merz after he was sworn in as Germany's new chancellor on Wednesday (May 7). Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA, 外交部), the island's diplomatic agency, has instructed its unofficial representative office in Germany to deliver a formal congratulatory letter from President Lai Ching-te (賴清德), Taiwan's recently inaugurated leader.
In a formal press release, Taiwan's foreign ministry conveyed its "sincere congratulations" to both the German government and its citizens on this political transition. The statement deliberately emphasized Taiwan's aspirations for cultivating an increasingly friendly and substantive relationship with Germany, one of Europe's most influential economies and a key player in the European Union's approach to cross-strait relations.
The Taiwanese diplomatic statement specifically referenced Germany's governing coalition agreement, which contains language addressing continued engagement with Taiwan despite Germany's formal diplomatic recognition of Beijing. The ministry particularly emphasized the agreement's position that any alteration to Taiwan's current status must be achieved through peaceful means, an implicit rejection of military pressure. MOFA officials underscored the shared democratic values binding Taiwan and Germany, including commitments to freedom, human rights, and legal frameworks, describing these principles as the foundation for expanded cooperation aimed at fostering regional stability across the strategically vital Indo-Pacific region.
Merz, who serves as chairman of the center-right Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands (CDU), Germany's conservative Christian Democratic Union party, secured his chancellorship through a parliamentary vote held Tuesday in the Bundestag. The veteran politician and former corporate executive obtained 325 votes during a second round of balloting, providing him with the necessary majority to assume Germany's highest governmental position after a closely watched leadership transition in Europe's largest economy.