Kiri

1

Newsletter (Issue 006/ 2025)

~Published by Taipei Mission in the Republic of Latvia~

Website: https://www.roc-taiwan.org/lv/index.html

FB: Taipei Mission in the Republic of Latvia

Twitter: @Taiwan_Latvia

E-mail:[email protected] Date: July 10, 2025

1 EU expressing concern over Taiwan Strait status quo

during 13th EU-China Strategic Dialogue

On July 2, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Kaja Kallas and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi co-chaired the 13th EU-China

Strategic Dialogue in Brussels. When elaborating on Taiwan in a statement issued after

the meeting, High Representative Kallas expressed the EU’s opposition to any

unilateral attempts to alter the status quo of the Taiwan Strait, including by force or

coercion. In addition, the European Union voiced concerns about human rights in China

as well as hybrid threats in Europe coming from China.

In response to each of China’s three large-scale military drills targeting Taiwan since

May 2024, the European External Action Service (EEAS) promptly issued statements

expressing concern. In these statements, the EEAS stressed that peace and stability across

the Taiwan Strait were of strategic importance for regional and global security and

prosperity and that the European Union had a direct interest in the preservation of the

status quo across the Taiwan Strait..

2

European leaders expressed concern about the threat from China and

supported the status quo in the Taiwan Strait at Shangri-La Dialouge in Singapore

1. Kaja Kallas, EU High Representative Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, reiterated

that the EU opposes any unilateral use of force or coercion to change the status quo in

the Taiwan Strait;

2. French President Emmanuel Macron mentioned that double standards should not be

adopted for the security of Taiwan and Ukraine, and emphasized that Europe and the

Indo-Pacific have common security interests;

3. German Chief of the General Staff Carsten Breuer, Swedish Defense Minister Pal

Jonson and Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans all emphasized the

2

importance of security in Asia and the Indo-Pacific region, as well as the concern about

the threat from China;

4. British Chief of the General Staff Tony Radakin emphasized the importance of

maintaining UNCLOS in the Indo-Pacific region. The freedom of navigation revealed

by the United Kingdom is of vital importance. The British Navy exercises the right of

freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific region, including the Taiwan Strait and the

South China Sea, and will continue to deploy aircraft carriers in the Indo-Pacific.

5. Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene pointed out that the country has

strengthened its participation in Indo-Pacific affairs, including cyber security and

complex threat resilience, and the country is very happy to cooperate with countries

including Taiwan.

3 Delegations from EU member states visiting Taiwan to deepen ties with

Tawian

1. Polish parliamentary delegation, led by

Deputy Horbatowski, visited Taiwan in

early July, with Taiwan government’s an-

nouncement of opening market to fresh

blueberries from Poland.

2. A delegation of 8 cross-party members

led by Ruslanas Baranovas, Chairman of

the Lithuanian Parliamentary Taiwan

Friendship Group visited Taiwan in early

July. European press delegation of

journalists from the Czech Republic,

France, Germany, and the Netherlands

visited Taiwan in mid-June to experience

Taiwan’s culture, as part of effort of

promoting Taiwan Cultural Year in Europe.

3. Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung pre-

sented the Friendship Medal of Diplomacy

to former French Senator André Gattolin

on June 16 in recognition of his long-stand-

ing efforts to promote Taiwan-France rela-

tions and his staunch support of Taiwan’s

participation in international organizations.

3

4 EU-Canada summit joint statement stressing support for

Taiwan Strait security and stability

President of the European Council António Costa and President of the European

Commission Ursula von der Leyen met with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney

on June 23 in Brussels for the 20th European Union-Canada summit. In a joint statement

released afterward, the two sides declared that security in the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-

Pacific regions was increasingly interconnected and reaffirmed a shared interest in

maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including in the East and South China

Seas and across the Taiwan Strait. The two sides added that they would continue working

with regional partners to uphold a free, open, and secure Indo-Pacific region.

5 G7 reiterating importance of peace and stability across Taiwan Strait

The chair’s summary published following the G7 Summit, held in Kananaskis, Canada,

from June 15 to 17, emphasized G7 members’ ongoing and serious concerns about

China’s destabilizing actions in the East and South China Seas and the importance of

peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

The summary once again clearly underlined G7 members’ commitment to a free and open

Indo-Pacific region based on the international rule of law. In addition, G7 leaders ex-

pressed concern over China’s use of such comprehensive nonmarket policies and actions

as market distortion and overcapacity.

6 Joint Statement by leaders of Japan and Finland

emphasizing importance of Taiwan Strait peace and stability

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru

Ishiba and Finnish President

Alexander Stubb met in Tokyo on

June 11. In a joint statement, they said

that Japan and Finland strongly

opposed any unilateral attempts to

change the status quo in the South and

East China Seas by force or coercion,

emphasized the importance of peace

and stability across the Taiwan Strait

as an indispensable element in the security and prosperity of the international

community, and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues. This is the

first time that the leaders of Japan and Finland have expressed their high concern for

Taiwan Strait peace in a joint statement.

4

7 UK’s Strategic Defence Review & National Security Strategy 2025

conveying concern over peace and stability across Taiwan Strait

1. On June 2, the Ministry of Defence (MOD) of the UK published its “Strategic De-

fence Review”, which stressed that the Indo-Pacific was strategically important to

the UK and that growing Chinese assertiveness was a key driver of regional and

global instability. The report also emphasized that China’s military exercises around

Taiwan risked dangerous escalation in the Taiwan Strait and that its aggressive actions

were fueling tension in the South China Sea.

2. The UK Cabinet Office issued “National Security Strategy (NSS) 2025” on June

24. The strategy noted the centrality of the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait in

global trade and supply chains and underscored the importance of regional stability

to the UK. It also indicated that there was a risk of escalation around Taiwan and

reiterated that issues regarding Taiwan should be resolved peacefully through con-

structive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion. It further stated that

the UK did not support any unilateral attempts to change the status quo and that the

UK would continue to strengthen its cooperative relationship with Taiwan in a wide

range of areas based on shared democratic values.

The day the national security strategy was issued, UK Foreign Secretary David

Lammy briefed the House of Commons on the China audit and the government’s

China policy, emphasizing that the UK’s long-standing position on Taiwan remained

unchanged and that it would continue to deepen its vibrant ties with Taiwan in such

domains as trade, education, and innovation.

3. On June 26, the British government

released its first “Trade Strategy” after

Brexit, stating that the UK will continue

to deepen trade, investment and eco-

nomic cooperation with Taiwan under

the framework of the “Enhanced Trade

Partnership.”

5

8 Taiwan and the UK signed three pillar agreements under

“Enhanced Trade Partnership”

Taiwan and the UK signed three pillar agreements on investment, digital trade, energy

and net zero emissions under the Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) agreement

framework on June 30. The ETP agreement, signed in November 2023, is the first

institutional economic and trade framework between Taiwan and a European country and

is of great of indicative significance. The signing of the three pillar agreements on

important areas of bilateral concern will further promote bilateral economic and trade

relations.

9 Taiwan’s response to Czech government statement on Chinese cyberattacks

against Czech foreign ministry

In a statement published on May 28, the government of the Czech Republic said it had

identified the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as being responsible for a malicious

campaign of cyberattacks targeting one of the unclassified networks of the Czech

Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It said the campaign had been carried out since 2022 through

the cyberespionage actor APT31. Strongly condemning this action, the Czech

government called on the PRC to adhere to international rules and take all appropriate

measures to address the issue.

Taiwan is subjected to millions of cyber intrusions per day, the majority of which

originate from China. Taiwan is thus particularly capable of empathizing with the Czech

Republic and other democracies facing similar threats. Taiwan is committed to

strengthening cooperation with the Czech Republic, the European Union, and other like-

minded partners, deepening information security exchanges and defensive capacity and

jointly working to resist the threats to the democratic system and information security

posed by China and other authoritarian regimes.

10 Taiwan and the Czech Republic once again join hands

to help Ukraine rebuild key infrastructure

To demonstrate the firm support of

Taiwan and the Czech Republic for

Ukraine, Taiwan and the Czech

Republic signed a “Memorandum of

Understanding on the Establishment of

an Energy Partnership to Promote

Ukraine’s Critical Infrastructure” on

June 27, to continue cooperation to help

Ukraine rebuild its water treatment facilities and energy generation systems.

6

11 Taiwan trade surplus reaches US$55.7 billion, the highest on record

*Export*

In June, exports soared to a record high of US&53.32 billion, marking a 33.7% increase

compared to the same month last year. Cumulatively, exports for the first half of 2025

totaled US$283.26 billion, reflecting a 25.9% rise from the same period in the previous

year.

*Imports*

In June, imports amounted to US$41.26 billion, making it the second highest monthly

import figure in history, and representing a 17.3% increase from June of the previous

year. For the first half of 2025, cumulative imports reached US$227.56 billion, up 20.5%

compared to the same period last year.

12 Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition

to be hele from September 18-20 in Taipei

The Taipei Aerospace and Defense

Technology Exhibition(TADTE) will

take place from Sept. 18-20 at the Taipei

Nangang Exhibition Center, featuring

more than 400 exhibitors from 14

countries, with the number of booths

increasing by 40% compared to last year's

expo. This year's event, themed "Future

Defense, Boundless Innovation," will highlight four key trends: advanced defense,

green aviation, resilient supply chains, and unmanned evolution

Exhibitors will include the Ministry of National Defense, Taiwan Space Agency, Asia

UAV AI Innovation Application R&D Center, Aerospace Industrial Development

Corp., Thunder Tiger, and Coretronic Corp. International companies such as Lockheed

Martin, Northrop Grumman, and BAE Systems are also expected to participate. Local

shipbuilders, including Lung Teh Shipbuilding Co., Jong Shyn Shipbuilding, and

CSBC Corp., will participate in the expo for the first time. These companies are set to

focus on unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and vessel systems display

Additionally, the expo will feature virtual reality, dynamic demonstrations, and

immersive experiences, allowing attendees to explore technological applications

firsthand, the council added. It will also host forums to discuss the latest defense and

aerospace technologies, as well as the global military supply chain.

https://www.tadte.com.tw/en/index.html

7

13 LIIA published a new book titled “Not Important Enough to Neglect —

Taiwan in the Diplomacy of Northern and Central Europe”

The Taipei Mission has collaborated with the Latvian Institute of International Affairs

(LIIA) to publish a new book titled “Not Important Enough to Neglect — Taiwan in

the Diplomacy of Northern and Central Europe,” which was released on June 9.

This insightful volume features 14 specialized articles by scholars from Taiwan and var-

ious countries, offering an in-depth analysis of current and future relations with Taiwan.

This book provides a balanced analysis of bilateral relationships between Taiwan and

EU member states, serving as a valuable resource for understanding Taiwan's interna-

tional standing and a guide for diplomatic attitudes towards Taiwan!

You can access the PDF version of the book here:

https://mx.mofa.gov.tw/mg-cgi/mg_redi-

rect?dmn=mofa.gov.tw&mid=686FC5D0.000840BC&mtime=1752155600&url=https

%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eliia%2Elv%2Fen%2Fpublications%2Fnot%2Dim-

portant%2Denough%2Dto%2Dneglect%2Dtaiwan%2Din%2Dthe%2Ddiplo-

macy%2Dof%2Dnorthern%2Dand%2Dcentral%2Deurope%2D1429%29

14 The report ”Taiwan in a Changing World”t published by Asia Centre,

University of Tartu, Estonia

We are excited to announced the release of the report titled” Taiwan in a Changing

World,” as part of the project initiated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic

of Estonia. Led by Dr. Elo Süld, Head of the Asia Centre at the University of Tartu, this

report offers valuable insights into Taiwan’s role in the evolving geopolitical landscape.

Don’t miss out on this essential resource!

Please find the link to the report’s homepage here:

https://aasiakeskus.ut.ee/en/news/report-taiwan-changing-world