TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's main opposition party dispatched a senior envoy to Denmark this week, seeking to bolster its international democratic credentials. Andrew Hsia (夏立言), vice chairman of the Kuomintang (KMT, 國民黨), Taiwan's oldest political party, attended the prestigious 8th Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Tuesday (May 13) at the invitation of the Alliance of Democracies Foundation, where he participated in wide-ranging discussions on Taiwan-China relations, global developments, and Taiwan's struggle for international recognition.
The veteran diplomat conveyed his "honor" in representing the opposition party, noting he carried explicit instructions from KMT Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) to present Taiwan's multifaceted political viewpoints to global democracy advocates. Hsia's agenda included both official summit sessions and informal diplomatic engagements with an array of international figures, as he sought to cultivate support for Taiwan's participation in global institutions while addressing the island democracy's strategic challenges.
Party officials emphasized Hsia's diplomatic conversations with key European Parliament figures, including current China delegation chair Engin Eroglu and his predecessor Reinhard Bütikofer. During these meetings, Hsia outlined the opposition party's "2D strategy" balancing Defense and Dialogue, while soliciting continued European legislative backing for Taiwan's international position. The high-profile democracy forum drew numerous global leaders, including Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, and senior officials from Denmark, Moldova, and the Netherlands.
The Copenhagen gathering offered Hsia a significant international platform to position Taiwan as an essential stakeholder in the global democratic community while cultivating diplomatic relationships across ideological lines. KMT officials expressed confidence that such engagement would yield expanded support from democratic nations for Taiwan's international participation, reinforcing the party's belief in the dual approach of security preparedness alongside sustained diplomatic dialogue with both allies and competitors. ◼