Your one-stop shop for all of Taiwan’s diplomacy efforts. If there’s been a bilateral meeting, a trade agreement, a cultural exchange or an informal dialogue, this is where you’ll find it
1. U.S.: More delegations, more arms sales.
Outgoing Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) met with a cross-party U.S. House of Representatives delegation led by Mike Gallagher, chair of the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, on February 22, in addition to U.S. think tank the Heritage Foundation on February 26. On top of thanking the U.S. for enhancing Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities through the National Defense Authorization Act, Tsai also said double taxation between the U.S. and Taiwan would be removed soon.
On the same day as the congressional delegation arrived, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it received official notification from the U.S. government of an approximately $75 million arms sale to Taiwan.
2. Japan: Major economic collaboration through TSMC deals, plus a push from Taiwan’s government.
Taiwan’s semiconductor giant TSMC opened its first fab in Japan this week, with production scheduled to begin at the end of this year. A second fab is scheduled to begin operation by the end of 2027.
President-elect Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said this week that he envisions deeper relations with Japan.
Taiwan’s Foreign Minister hosted a banquet for an influential Japanese think tank on February 23.
At a celebration marking the Japanese emperor’s birthday, current President Tsai said Taiwan and Japan’s relationship was like that of a family and pointed out that bilateral trade reached $75.7 billion (2.39 trillion New Taiwan dollars) last year. This was the first time a sitting president or vice president of Taiwan had attended the event since it restarted in 2003, according to Japan’s Taipei Office.
On Japan’s part, its Minister of Foreign Affairs told its parliament that “peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is highly important” to Tokyo at the end of January. This was the third time since 2022 a foreign minister had used their opening speech to a new session of the Japanese parliament to mention this, according to the Taipei Times.
3. Europe: Ups and downs regarding Ukraine, and a first ever extradition.
Taiwan joined 40 (mostly European) World Trade Organization members in signing a statement expressing support for Ukraine ahead of the WTO Ministerial Conference this week.
Lithuanian MPs criticized Taiwan after a media investigation released at the end of January found Taiwanese companies had been supplying metalworking machines to Russia’s military industry. Taiwan’s Ministry of Economic Affairs has already sought to head off criticism by adding 77 machine tools to the list of restricted exports to Russia and Belarus.
A Taiwanese man suspected of involvement in telecommunications scams became “the first ever case of our country managing to extradite a fugitive from a foreign country,” when he was extradited from Poland to Taiwan, according to Taiwan’s Ministry of Justice. The extradition came via an agreement on cooperation on legal matters that came into effect in 2001. In the past Taiwan has complained when Taiwanese citizens were extradited to China.
4. India: Major agreement over migrant workers incoming.
Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding with India on February 16 regarding a plan to receive Indian migrant workers. Details such as how many people will be allowed to work in Taiwan will now be settled in meetings between the two sides, and this remains controversial with some in Taiwan.
5. Diplomatic Allies: Shoring up support after the loss of Nauru, but doubts remain.
After Nauru switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing immediately after Taiwan’s election in January, leaving Taipei with only 12 diplomatic allies, a minister from Saint Lucia led a delegation to Taiwan on February 25.
Taiwan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs signed the Joint Declaration between the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Kingdom of Eswatini on February 1.
As Tuvalu elected Prime Minister Feleti Teo on February 26, Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs congratulated him, saying “Prime Minister Teo is known for his friendly stance toward Taiwan, having visited Taiwan several times. He has stated that the diplomatic alliance between Taiwan and Tuvalu is solid and that all sectors of Tuvalu share a long-standing consensus on supporting official bilateral relations.” Then, on February 28, Tuvalu shared a statement saying “The new government wishes to reaffirm its commitment to the long-term and lasting special relationship between Tuvalu and the Republic of China, Taiwan.”
Guatemala reaffirmed ties with Taiwan in a statement, though its Minister of Foreign Affairs told Reuters the country was considering establishing formal trade relations with China.
6. Additional Developments: A new multilateral membership and continued close-ties with another international outcast.
Taiwan’s relationship with Somaliland, another self-governed territory without much international recognition, continued with Taiwan hosting Somliland’s Minister of Fishery and Coastal Development for a lunch on February 25.
Taiwan’s Food and Drug Administration became an associate member of the EU-based International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities this month, it announced on February 21.
Image: Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs
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