Taiwan to Build Second Representative Office in Italy to Deepen Cooperation

Pedestrians walk under the red lanterns lit for the Chinese Lunar New Year 2022 in the Sarpi district in Milan on Feb. 1, 2022. PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images

Taiwan will set up a second representative office in Italy as part of its efforts to deepen cooperation and exchanges with the European country, the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Monday.

The new representative office will be situated in Milan, the second largest city by population in Italy, with over 1.3 million people. Taiwan currently has only one representative office in the capital city of Rome.

“In view of the continuous deepening of cooperation and exchanges between Taiwan and Italy in the fields of economy, trade, culture, education, science and technology, and tourism, our country will set up a Taipei Office in Milan,” the ministry said.

It will provide services to Taiwanese living in Italy and help promote “the multiplier effect” of economic and trade exchanges between the two countries. The ministry did not specify the timeline for its opening.

Italy does not have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but maintains economic and trade cooperation with the self-ruled island.

During an interview with Taiwan’s Central News Agency (CNA) last year, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said she was looking forward to expanding cooperation with Taiwan in various sectors.

Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni holds her year-end press conference in Rome, on Dec. 29, 2022. Alessandra Tarantino/AP Photo

“There is no doubt that Taiwan will be an important concern for Italy,” she told CNA.

Meloni, who was elected as Italy’s first female leader last year, said that her right-wing Brothers of Italy party would stand with democratic countries in condemning Beijing’s military threats towards Taiwan.

She called on the European Union (EU) to use all of its “diplomatic and political means” to exert pressure on Beijing to avoid conflicts in the Taiwan Strait.

“Don’t forget that the EU is also China’s main export market. If they decide to attack Taiwan, it may lead to the closure of the market [exports to China],” Meloni said.

French President’s Remarks On Taiwan

Taiwan’s announcement came on the heels of France’s centrist President Emmanuel Macron’s comments that urged Europe to stay out of the conflict between the United States and its allies and China over Taiwan.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) and French President Emmanuel Macron (R) visit the garden of the residence of the Governor of Guangdong on April 7, 2023. Jacques WittI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Macron made the remarks in an interview with Politico on April 9, just days after completing his three-day visit to Beijing. He said it would be the “worst thing” for Europe “to become followers” on the Taiwan issue and “take [its] cue from the U.S. agenda” focused on defending Taiwan.

The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance in China (IPAC), which is made up of international legislators from 30 countries, issued a statement condemning his remarks and said that Macron “does not speak for Europe.”

“With Beijing ramping up military exercises in the South China Sea and showing continuing support for Russian aggression in Ukraine, this is the worst possible moment to send a signal of indifference over Taiwan,” the IPAC stated.

Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.), chair of the House Select Committee on China, criticized Macron’s remarks as “embarrassing” and “disgraceful,” saying they “play right into the CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party’s] strategy to divide America and Europe.”

“That invites aggression; it actually does not perpetuate peace,” Gallagher told Fox News on April 10.

Beijing staged a three-day military drill around the self-ruled island on April 8 after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) in California.

Chinese aircraft incursions into the region continued despite the fact that the CCP had already proclaimed the conclusion of its military exercise on April 10.

Taiwan’s military said it detected 18 Chinese aircraft and four naval vessels near the island on April 16, with four aircraft spotted entering southwest and southeast of Taiwan’s ADIZ.

The CCP regards Taiwan as a renegade province that must be united with the mainland by all means necessary despite the fact that Taiwan has never been ruled by the CCP and has its own democratic government.