For EU scholars advocating for stronger #EU- #Taiwan ties, it’s key to grasp what our European trade offices (15: ) do on the ground, and how much the EU & its member states can & want to do with/in TW. Long follows:

Met with Frederic Verheyden, #Belgium’s representative this morning. A compelling talk, in many regards, not least bc of our Bruxellois connection & good company @maxime_ramon Sharing a few reflections, starting w/trade & investment, essence of all EU offices’ presence in TW 1/9

#EU is the nr 1 investor in #Taiwan, but few people in TW actually know. Challenges will remain for the EU to leverage its raw economic power in a political context, as well as to leverage a joint image, given its fragmentation 2/9

Raising EU’s profile in TW is therefore crucial. The EU & member states are already doing good work, see for ex. Taiwan European Film Festival, ongoing w/EU office coordination @grzegorzewskif. But more must follow, both on EU and member state level https://www.teff.tw  3/9

#Taiwan also has some work to do on #softpower on its own end - this is an important year for the gov. to strengthen #publicdiplomacy. #TaiwanCanHelp through its #TaiwanModel, but this needs to be maintained as a priority in a post-covid world 4/9

Belgium, w/its strategic central location is #Taiwan’s 6th European trade partner, total trade flows exceeded 2bn for the past 3yrs, w/cooperation in offshore wind & renewable energy, food&beverage, ICT, biotech, pharma 5/9

On people-to-people, academic exchange - #Taiwan recognises #EU’s academic excellence & member st. are increasing support for more exchanges. Investing in this area will be crucial to lay ground for next generations 6/9

On Taiwanese #identity - observing & trying to grasp the many layers from a European perspective is fascinating. Being mindful of this, one thing seems clear: uniting around a common sense of belonging will be crucial for the further sustainable consolidation of TW identity 7/9

‘ #Taiwan is the most European country in #Asia’ - with its social model, grounded in a humane approach, driven by progressive views , and sharing common values and norms. This is deeply rooted and a solid foundation for stronger #EU- #Taiwan relations. But not enough. 8/9

#Europe needs TW expertise, where this is strong, but whether ties can be strengthened will depend on both sides, on the thinking in Taipei as much as on the thinking in Brussels & the 27. TW is at a crossroads in its international positioning & it will need to be creative. 9/9

overall, lots of good points & much needed nuance. NB: it is a conscious choice not to talk about China in this . to prove that it is possible, i.e. consider Taiwan on its own merits.
END.