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進入《TAIPEI TIMES》German delegation to visit Taiwan
German lawmaker Holger Becker, third left, poses for a photograph with Democratic Progressive Party legislators Lin I-chin, left, and Fan Yun, center, and others at the Bundestag in Berlin yesterday. Photo courtesy of Fan Yun
SOLIDARITY: A group of European lawmakers condemned China’s aggressive moves, while the foreign minister of Lithuania said Taiwan ‘cannot become a second Ukraine’
By Chen Cheng-yu, Lu Yi-hsuan and Liu Tzu-hsuan / Staff reporters, with staff writer
A German parliamentary delegation would visit Taiwan in the first week of October, German lawmaker Holger Becker on Monday told visiting Democratic Progressive Party legislators Fan Yun （范雲） and Lin I-chin （林宜瑾） at the Bundestag in Berlin.
Asked by Fan whether he is worried about possible reprisals from Beijing, such as banning him and his family from entering China, Becker said he is more interested in visiting Taiwan, as “now is the time for democracies to stand together.”
Fan and Lin also met with German officials to exchange views on digital education and governance.
Investing in digital infrastructure and protecting equal rights to education are key parts of Becker’s political platform, Fan said, adding that he is concerned about the harm caused by online hate speech to democracy and individuals.
German news agency DPA separately reported that the Bundestag’s Committee on Human Rights would also send a delegation of eight lawmakers from six political parties to Taiwan at the end of October.
The Formosa Club, a group of Taiwan-friendly lawmakers in Europe, issued a statement on Monday urging China to cease its military intimidation of Taiwan.
The group condemned China for undermining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, adding that China must not “unilaterally change the status quo by force against the will of the Taiwanese people.”
Lawmakers have the duty and right to travel internationally to support freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, which should not be used as an excuse for provocation, the statement said.
Seventy-nine lawmakers from 28 legislative bodies, including those in Europe and Canada, as well as the European Parliament, vowed to “stand by and support Taiwan” through “regular visits, joint dialogues or cooperation,” it said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanked the group for speaking out for Taiwan so quickly and encouraged democratic partners to visit the nation to show their support.
The ministry reiterated that like-minded nations around the globe should stand together against China’s irresponsible actions, as “being overlenient would send a wrong message to Beijing and endanger peace across the Taiwan Strait and around the world.”
Separately, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis in an opinion piece published by the UK’s Telegraph newspaper on Monday voiced his support for Taiwan and condemned Chinese aggression.
He called on the world to safeguard global security instead of considering smaller democratic countries “expendable” to appease authoritarian countries in an attempt to avoid conflict.
“Appeasement does not lead to peace,” he said, adding that “the free world cannot and will not allow Taiwan to become a second Ukraine.”
新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES
