TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A German parliamentary delegation dismissed China's criticism of its Taiwan visit on Tuesday (May 26), with the group's chairman declaring that exchanges between democracies "will not accept third-party interference" one day after Beijing condemned the trip.
Till Steffen, chairman of the Germany-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group in the Bundestag, made the remarks during a meeting with Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) at the Presidential Office. China's Foreign Ministry had issued a statement on Monday reaffirming its "one China principle" and urging German officials to stop sending "wrong signals" to what it called "Taiwan independence" forces.
"Exchanges between democratic societies are normal," Steffen said in response to Beijing's objections. "We will not accept interference from a third party."
The bipartisan delegation's visit marks the first trip to Taiwan by the 21st German Bundestag's friendship group. The group included lawmakers from across the political spectrum, including Klaus-Peter Willsch of the Christian Democratic Union and Rainer Kraft of the Alternative for Germany.
Asked about the delegation's visit, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning (毛寧) said Monday that Beijing "firmly opposes official interactions of any form" between Taiwan and countries with diplomatic ties to China. She urged German officials to "stop sending wrong messages to 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces."
Steffen linked the criticism to China's recent attempts to interfere with President Lai's visit to Eswatini, Taiwan's sole remaining diplomatic ally in Africa. Germany's relationship with Taiwan "has withstood years of tests and will not change," he said.
President Lai called for deeper cooperation in cybersecurity, defense industries, disaster response and "social resilience." He noted that a German naval vessel transited the Taiwan Strait in September 2024 for the first time in 22 years. "Only through cooperation among democratic partners can we maintain a rules-based international order," Lai said.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC, 台積電) investment in a chip fabrication plant in Dresden, Germany, represents a "milestone" in bilateral industrial cooperation, Lai said. Many of the collaborations now underway "would have been unimaginable two or three years ago," Steffen said.
China, which claims Taiwan as its territory, routinely protests official exchanges between Taipei and foreign governments. ◼