Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung inaugurated the renovated Taipei Representative Office in Rome, seizing the occasion to meet with Italian lawmakers. The visit is rare, given the political sensitivities surrounding relations with Taipei.
Decoding the news. The initiative is part of Lin’s European tour, which promotes the “Taiwan Culture in Europe 2025” program.
- Lin described Italy and Taiwan as “complementary and reliable partners.” Rome excels in innovation, design, and industry, and Taipei excels in technology, green energy, and manufacturing.
The goal: strengthening cooperation that also supports global supply chains.
What they’re saying
- Minister Lin: “Italy and Taiwan share the values of freedom, democracy and human rights. The opening of this office marks a new chapter in bilateral relations.”
- Gian Marco Centinaio, Vice President of the Senate: Taiwan is “a democratic model” and Italy “will always stand by Taipei.”
- Paolo Formentini, Vice President of the Chamber’s Foreign Affairs Committee, told Decode39 that the shared goal is maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, amid growing pressure from Beijing.
- Formentini also recalled that in September 2024 the Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution calling for Taiwan’s inclusion, “at least as an observer,” in international multilateral organisations, starting with those linked to the United Nations.
Lin’s mission began in the Czech Republic, where he attended the opening of the exhibition “100 Treasures, 100 Stories” from Taipei’s National Palace Museum.
- The Italian stop follows a recent Parliamentary Diplomacy mission by an Italian delegation to Taipei, which had already signalled stronger political ties.
- Public visits by Taiwan’s foreign ministers to countries without official diplomatic relations remain exceptional, and Taipei has not released further details of Lin’s European agenda.
