Taiwan's Foreign Minister in Vienna: A sign of resilience!

Taiwan's Foreign Minister in Vienna: A sign of resilience!

On Friday, September 19, 2025, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung visited Vienna, a historic visit, the first of its kind in decades. This brings Taiwan back into the focus of international diplomacy, even though the Austrian government emphasized that Lin's trip was of a "purely private nature" with no ministers present at the reception. Nevertheless, the diplomatic background was clear: Lin wanted to emphasize Taiwan's identity and draw attention to the growing threats from China, such as the The press reported.

His program included, among other things, a visit to a concert at the renowned music club, which was given by the Taiwanese representative in Austria, Hans Suan-yung Liu. At a reception, Lin met with representatives from business, politics and culture and discussed the potential threat of an invasion by China's People's Liberation Army and the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait. In this context, concerns were also expressed about the reliability of the United States as a protecting power, as support in the form of arms aid was recently blocked.

Under pressure from Beijing

Lin is a member of the Democratic Progressive Party, which advocates for Taiwan's sovereignty and a clear distance from China. It is no secret that Beijing is putting pressure on Lin and considers any contact between Taiwan and other countries to be illegal. Speaking to Taiwan News, Lin said Taiwan would not engage in "checkbook diplomacy" to win diplomatic allies. Taiwan's diplomatic relations have shrunk significantly since 2016, from the original 22 to just 12 currently.

In Vienna, Lin also gave an insight into the so-called “Taiwan model,” which is based on genuine support and long-term partnership, not competition with China. Taiwan has lost many of its allies in recent years, but Lin is counting on concrete measures in areas such as semiconductor technology, digital governance, renewable energy and artificial intelligence to retain its remaining allies.

Strengthen economic connections

Despite the tense political situation, economic relations between Austria and Taiwan are booming. The foreign trade volume was around 1.8 billion euros in 2024. This intensive economic cooperation shows that connections exist at various levels, even if there are no official diplomatic contacts. However, Austria maintains a lively exchange that also includes cultural and scientific aspects. The Taiwanese Foreign Minister arrived with a clear goal: to create a better understanding of Taiwan's situation in Europe and to articulate concerns about China's expansion.

Lin Chia-lung's stay in Vienna follows recent visits to Rome and Prague, where he set up new offices for Taiwanese missions and opened cultural exhibitions. Despite the political challenges, Taiwan's international engagement remains undiminished, and its determination to defend its cultural identity remains at the forefront of these diplomatic efforts. Taiwan is actively pursuing a foreign policy aimed at strengthening economic and political ties in the Asia-Pacific region, according to experts' thoughts in a report by the SWP suggest.