After 26 years, German ministerial officials visited Taiwan again on the 21st Taipei time. Since the Olaf Scholz administration took office for more than a year, Taiwan-Germany relations have improved significantly, and officials and parliamentarians from both sides have frequently interacted with each other. Now that the Minister of Education and Research has set foot on Taiwan, it can be said that the first step has been taken for a new stage of bilateral relations.

The turning point of Germany’s Taiwan policy is the parliamentary election in September 2021. The three political parties that came to power after the election mentioned Taiwan for the first time in the coalition agreement. status quo.

The coalition agreement is the new government’s governance blueprint for the next four years. Since then, Germany’s attitude towards Taiwan has changed significantly, saying that Taiwan is a “value partner” of democracy and freedom and an important economic partner. Last year, Minister of Culture Li Yongde and Chairman of the National Science and Technology Council Wu Zhengzhong visited Berlin successively to meet with their German counterparts, which was the first case of face-to-face exchanges between the heads of relevant Taiwanese and German ministries.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany has paid more attention to the peace of the Taiwan Strait than ever before. Members of the ruling and opposition Congress have used their visits to Taiwan to express their support for Taiwan. In October last year, the Federal Parliament sent two cross-party delegations to visit Taiwan. In January this year, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (FDP) led a delegation led by the party whip and the chairman of the National Defense Commission. This is the first visit to Taiwan by the chairman of the National Defense Committee of the German Parliament. The security of the Taiwan Strait immediately became the focus of German public opinion besides the situation in Ukraine.

In the process of warming up Taiwan-Germany relations, the role of the Liberal Democratic Party as a promoter is particularly worth mentioning. The Liberal Democratic Party has a tradition of friendship with Taiwan. In recent years, it has tried its best to speak out for Taiwan. Before the 2021 general election, it deleted the “one China policy” text in its campaign statements, affirming that Taiwan’s democracy and the rule of law are a successful contrast to China’s dictatorship. The group supports the people of Taiwan in deciding their own future, and their pro-Taiwan stand is particularly clear among the ruling and opposition parties in Germany.

In addition, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom, a think tank for the Democratic Party, is the first German political party foundation to set up a foothold in Taiwan. Bettina Stark-Watzinger is also from the Liberal Democratic Party.

Stark-Wattsinger’s visit to Taiwan this time will focus on the cooperation between semiconductors and Chinese language teaching. Germany is making every effort to build its own semiconductor industry chain and intends to learn from Taiwan, which leads the world in chip manufacturing. The cooperation between the two parties in research and development and teaching may pave the way for TSMC’s planned factory.

Chinese language teaching is another focus of her visit to Taiwan. Germany is wary of Beijing’s influence through the Confucius Institute, but it needs a large number of talents who understand China. It intends to cooperate with Taiwan in Chinese language teaching and research, “to build the ability to study China independently.” .

However, since the Minister of Economic Affairs visited Taiwan in 1997, Germany has never sent ministerial officials to visit Taiwan, so it is inevitable to be cautious. The constant protests in China before the departure made Taiwanese diplomats worried that the trip would not take place. The Minister of Planning originally announced it after he arrived in Taiwan, but it was accidentally exposed a few days before the departure.

In the era of Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel, German diplomacy basically avoided talking about Taiwan. Berlin’s “Daily Mirror” (Der Tagesspiegel) sarcastically stated that the People’s Republic of China never ruled Taiwan, but succeeded. Even hearing the word “Taiwan” in Berlin political circles will feel nervous, embarrassed and silent.

The German minister’s visit to Taiwan this time can be regarded as the beginning of a new stage in bilateral relations. A government think tank scholar analyzed that since the 1990s, in order to develop relations with China and avoid annoying Beijing, German ministers have stopped visiting Taiwan. state”.

It is common for members of the European Parliament and ministerial officials to visit Taiwan, but it is quite rare for EU ministers to visit Taiwan. Germany is watching and watching in the European Union. After 26 years, it has finally taken its first step. Whether other countries will follow suit is worth watching.