Counter to CHIPS Act?... European Parliament Trade Committee to Visit Taiwan on 19th

"The Nation of Technology"... In-Depth Discussions on Exchange

Bernd Lange, Chair of the European Parliament's Trade Committee (right in the photo), is listening to Don Farrell, Australia's Minister for Trade, at the Australian Parliament in Canberra on September 19. (Photo by AP Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] Amid ongoing new Cold War tensions between the United States and China, the European Parliament's Trade Committee is set to visit Taiwan. This move is interpreted as an effort to establish a cooperative framework in response to the US-led 'Chip4' (Chip4: South Korea, United States, Japan, Taiwan).

According to Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) on the 1st, a delegation from the European Parliament's Trade Committee will visit Taiwan from the 19th to the 21st. While there have been several visits to Taiwan at the European Parliament level, this is the first time the Trade Committee has formed a delegation specifically for a visit to Taiwan.

Bernd Lange, the committee chairman, stated that during this visit, plans are to discuss ways to deepen exchanges between Taiwan and the European Union (EU).

Lange mentioned that in 2020, when the EU was negotiating an investment agreement with China, discussions were held about whether to negotiate with Taiwan as well, and that those discussions are still ongoing, adding, "Taiwan is a country with technological capabilities."

This statement appears to reflect the EU's intention to build a cooperative framework with Taiwan in response to the US-led semiconductor supply chain cooperation dialogue, Chip4.

Julia Winkle, who will lead the delegation, said that in addition to semiconductor supply chain cooperation, they will strengthen bilateral cooperation on various research and development projects.

Member of Parliament Reinhard B?tikofer also said that the EU and this visit will help advance the conclusion of an investment agreement with Taiwan.

Last year, the EU and China, which had been at odds exchanging sanctions over the Xinjiang Uyghur human rights issue, have seen their relationship deteriorate further due to China's military actions against Taiwan and economic retaliation against Lithuania, an EU member state.