Taiwan’s legislature established a Taiwan-Poland Inter-Parliamentary Amity Association on Wednesday.

The association is the initiative of DPP lawmaker Lin Ching-yi. Lin says she traveled to Poland twice, once in 2018 and once in 2019. Visits since then have been difficult because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lin says she hopes Poland and Taiwan will collaborate more in the areas of economy, law, policy, and culture when travel restrictions are eased.

Deputy Legislative Speaker Tsai Chi-Chang is honorary chairperson of the newly formed association. He says pressure from China has made parliamentary exchanges between Taiwan and other countries difficult. However, Tsai says that he was warmly received in Poland when he led a delegation there in 2018. Tsai says he hopes Taiwan-Poland ties will flourish in the future.

Poland’s top envoy to Taiwan, Cyryl Kozaczewski, says that Poland is grateful for Taiwan’s aid in helping Ukrainian refugees. He says more than 2.5 million Ukrainians are now seeking shelter in Poland. 

According to Taiwan’s foreign ministry, Taiwanese citizens raised more than US$32 million for Ukraine in just one month.