Taiwan officials took part in a meeting of the German parliament’s Committee on Human Rights and Humanitarian Aid Oct. 19 in Berlin, spotlighting the shared values of the two like-minded partners, according to Taipei Representative Office in Germany.
 
Overseen by committee chairperson and Member of Parliament Gyde Jensen, the event focused on human rights in the digital age with particular reference to the national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing and its implications for Taiwan.
 
Shieh Jhy-wey, Taiwan’s representative to Germany, spoke at the event, with other senior government officials also taking part via videoconference. These included Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Harry Ho-jen Tseng and Deputy Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council Chiu Chui-cheng.
 
The occasion marked the first time Taiwan officials have been invited to take part in a German parliamentary meeting, Shieh said, adding it demonstrated the importance of the relationship for both sides.
 
According to Berlin-headquartered newspaper Die Welt, the meeting was arranged after a planned trip by the committee to Taipei City scheduled for late September was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Margarete Bause, a committee member and German Greens spokeswoman for human rights and humanitarian aid, said talks with high-ranking officials from Taiwan are important at a time when Beijing continues to upset the regional status quo. Taiwan needs all the support it can get from countries that are committed to the principles of human rights and the rule of law, she added. (SFC-E)
 
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