Chief Editor of Radio Taiwan International’s (Rti) Ukrainian service Oleksandr Shyn, together with two Ukrainian-language journalists from Polskie Radio Anna Lvova and Taras Andrukhovych, interviewed Chair of the European Parliament’s Taiwan Friendship Group Michael Gahler in Kinmen last Wednesday.

Gahler led a ten-member European Parliament delegation on a 6-day visit to Taiwan earlier this month, during which they met with President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) and several senior government officials. As part of their trip, they visited Kinmen Island, which lies across the Taiwan Strait just three kilometers from the Chinese coastline. 

Gahler stated in the interview that any attempt by China to change the status quo by force would lead to serious consequences, including sanctions from the EU. He said the purpose of the delegation’s visit to Kinmen, which he referred to as a “frontline island,” was to prevent escalation and deter any attempt by China to forcibly alter the status quo. Just before their trip, the PLA had conducted their large-scale Justice Mission 2025 drill around Taiwan.

Per Gahler, their visit to Taiwan was meant to signal support for peace in the Taiwan Strait and send a message to China. He condemned the PLA’s live-fire exercises around Taiwan during the latest drill. 

At the same time, Gahler praised Taiwanese resilience in politics, the military, and across society as a whole. He also pointed out the vulnerability of undersea communications infrastructure, noting that this issue is becoming increasingly important for both Taiwan and Europe’s Baltic region; Latvian police have been investigating two incidents of damage to the Palanga–Liepāja optical fiber cable that occurred around New Year’s Eve and early January.

In Taiwan, damage to undersea cables is increasingly viewed as part of China’s gray-zone strategy. Taiwan’s offshore island counties—Kinmen and the Matsu Islands—are particularly vulnerable due to their remote locations and reliance on undersea cables as their primary means of communication with the main island. Gahler called for strengthened cooperation between Taiwan and the EU in protecting this infrastructure.

Finally, Gahler emphasized that even without formal diplomatic relations, Europe is actively strengthening pragmatic cooperation with Taiwan, especially in trade and technology.