EU delegation arrives in Taipei despite China warning
A European Parliament delegation has arrived in Chinese Taipei despite Beijing's warnings that the move would undermine relations between mainland China and the European Union (EU).
A seven-member group of EU lawmakers, led by French MEP Raphael Glucksmann, arrived in Taipei on an official three-day visit on Wednesday.
They were scheduled to meet with president Tsai Ing-wen and other officials from the self-proclaimed government in Taipei during the trip, according to its foreign ministry.
"The delegation was the first official delegation dispatched by the European Parliament to Taiwan in history, which is of great significance," the island's foreign ministry said in a statement. "We look forward to fruitful discussions on the defense of democracy, freedom, rule of law and respect for human rights with our like-minded European partners."
The presidential office also said in a statement that Taipei will share experiences in dealing with challenges, including "foreign infiltration," with the delegation from Brussels.
The Chinese mission in Brussels had warned earlier that the visit by the EU lawmakers would "damage China's core interest and undermine the healthy development of China-EU relations."
China, which has sovereignty over Chinese Taipei, has repeatedly warned world countries against direct interaction with the self-proclaimed government in the island.
Earlier, however, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution to deepen ties with Taipei.
The visit by EU lawmakers came after Chinese Taipei foreign minister Joseph Wu made a trip to Europe last month. China reacted to that trip and warned the host countries against undermining their bilateral relations with mainland China.
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