Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung called on Saturday for Taiwan and Europe to build trusted supply chains in artificial intelligence and drones, saying closer cooperation could strengthen economic and national security, Taiwan's Central News Agency (CNA) reported from Taipei on October 24.

Source: CNA via EuropeSays, Oct 24, 2026

Speaking at the opening of the annual conference of the Formosa Club, which connects pro-Taiwan parliamentarians across Europe, Lin said Taiwan's semiconductor, AI server and emerging drone industries complemented Europe's expertise in precision manufacturing and industrial technology. 'These require trusted partners because they directly involve national security and critical infrastructure,' he said, according to CNA.

Source: CNA via EuropeSays, Oct 24, 2026

ICRT reported that a total of 45 parliamentarians from the European Parliament and 18 European national parliaments are in Taiwan for the event, and that this year's gathering marks the first time the Formosa Club's annual conference is being held in Taipei. Conference chair Rihards Kols said the island is a trusted democratic ally that stands on the frontline of defending democracy, ICRT reported.

Source: ICRT, Oct 2026

Lin said Taiwan was developing a complete drone supply chain encompassing hardware, critical components and cybersecurity standards, CNA reported. As an example of industrial cooperation, he cited a proposed technology park in Poland planned by the Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association, focused on AI data centres, smart cities and electric vehicles.

European Parliament member Michael Gahler, who chaired the conference, called for parliamentary support for Taiwan to translate into broader, institutionalised cooperation by governments, CNA reported. He said Europe could deepen practical engagement with Taiwan while maintaining its 'one China' policies, distinguishing those policies from Beijing's 'one China' principle, and said democracies needed to coordinate responses to the long-term threats of war, hybrid warfare and economic coercion from Russia and China.

Lin also urged like-minded countries to jointly resist transnational repression, accusing China of using domestic legislation to extend its jurisdiction overseas. 'No country should be allowed to use domestic law as an instrument for exporting a chilling effect beyond its own borders,' he said, according to CNA. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the club, founded in 2019, are scheduled to co-host a forum on Tuesday focusing on Taiwan-Europe cooperation on AI and drone technology, CNA added.

Taiwan Today, published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Europe is currently Taiwan's third-largest trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment, and that Formosa Club members annually voice support for Taiwan's engagement in the World Health Assembly and frequently issue joint letters condemning China's military threats to Taiwan. Sources: CNA and ICRT, with Taiwan Today (Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

Source: Taiwan Today (MOFA)