Relations between Italy and Taiwan will be strengthened in 2023, with Rome supporting several of Taipei’s ambitions, areas of very active mutual investment and active cultural exchange.Vincent Tsai, head of the Taipei Mission to Italy, evaluates the expanding cooperation and looks ahead to the upcoming presidential election.
Ambassador Tsai brings 2023 many moment of contact What kind of balance can be struck between Italy and Taiwan this year? What strengths have emerged in the relationship between Rome and Taipei? What should we expect next year?
- High-level visit by the governments of both countries. Taiwanese ministerial officials have visited Italy this year, and various Italian officials have visited Taiwan again this year. In terms of personnel exchanges between the two governments, it can be said that this year went well.
- Support from the Italian Parliament. The friendship of many Italian parliamentarians in the Taiwan-Italy Parliamentary Friendship Association has been strengthened through support for Taiwan, including institutional visits to Taiwan and frank requests for support from the Italian government for participation in international organizations such as the United Nations and WHO. It became. On these occasions, many of the Association’s Italian parliamentarians have strongly expressed their support for Taiwan in seeking meaningful participation in the above-mentioned international organizations: , Interpol, and the UNFCCC.
- Diplomacy and regional cooperation. The Italian government has made its position clear in maintaining stability and peace in the Taiwan Strait, and we are very grateful for this. We share the same positions on many international issues, including the current Russia-Ukraine war and concerns about the humanitarian issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and we hope that conflicts will be resolved in a peaceful manner. There is. We also appreciated Italy’s efforts to engage Taiwan in international initiatives such as the latest COP 28.
- Opening of new office in Milan. Taiwanese Consulate General opens in Milan [in October 2023]. It is tasked with promoting relations with the seven northern regions and simplifying consular procedures for all people residing in northern Italy and wishing to travel to Taiwan for various reasons (study, work, etc.) .
- Capacity building. This year, a partnership was established with the Italian government to send 28 Italian students and researchers to Taiwan to participate in two intensive training programs in the semiconductor field (August and December). We hope to repeat this experience in 2024 and in the coming years.
- economic cooperation. Italy positions itself as Taiwan’s third commercial partner. Trade between the two countries reached a record $6.2 billion this year. In 2024, we hope this figure will approach the $10 billion of Germany, Taiwan’s first commercial partner in the EU. We hope that our Milan office can also play a role in promoting bilateral business.
- Technical cooperation. In addition to cooperation in the semiconductor field, Taiwan and Italy believe that they can also strengthen cooperation in fields such as green or renewable energy (solar energy, wind power, etc.), electric vehicles, textiles, machinery, agriculture, etc.
- Cultural exchange. Many cultural exchanges took place this year as well, including planning and participating in various art exhibitions. In 2024, we will launch a Taiwan-Italy bilateral dance residency program to further enhance cultural exchange between the two countries.
Why is it important to open a Chinese school in Italy or other European countries?
Learning Chinese is essential now. It is the language spoken by the majority of the world’s population and influences a large part of the international economy. Language is also a means of transmitting culture and helps bring us closer to distant worlds and societies. The Chinese language schools we want to open in Italy and Europe also have this purpose. Like China, Mandarin is spoken in Taiwan, but traditional characters are used instead of simplified characters to preserve China’s historic, thousand-year-old traditions.
What are the investment areas that could be of interest to Italy and Taiwan? What else is there beyond the basic semiconductor sector?
It is clear that the semiconductor sector is a major sector, thanks to Taiwan’s advanced technology and Taiwan’s numerous investments in Italy and other countries. In any case, there are many areas where Italy and Taiwan can deepen cooperation, if not actually establish cooperation. For example, we are looking at the green energy and renewable energy sector, or the automotive sector, especially electric vehicles. Taiwanese companies are also investing in Italy, and cooperation already exists in textiles, machinery production, and agriculture.
2024 will be a pivotal moment for the future of Taiwan’s democracy. What can we expect from the January election?
Taiwan is a mature democracy. Since the establishment of direct and universal suffrage in the 1990s, there has been a succession of several presidents elected by the Taiwanese people and a succession of balanced governing parties. Therefore, I am confident that in the next election, Taiwan will once again demonstrate its openness, freedom, and transparency to the world.
Regardless of the outcome of the election, Taiwan will once again pursue the protection of freedom and identity, and reaffirm its support for maintaining the status quo and for peace and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait. After the election, the new government will likely maintain a calm and resilient posture in the face of the Chinese threat, but before that, the new government will seek dialogue with China and will use all possible means. I’ll give it my all. We will consider possible ways to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait and continue to work with democracies to safeguard peace in the Indo-Pacific region.
image: @Taiwan in Italy