October 17, 2016
No.242
At the invitation of the government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), a group of six Danish parliamentarians from the Danish People’s Party, led by Kim Christiansen, is visiting Taiwan from October 17 to 21, 2016. The purpose of the visit is to gain a better understanding of Taiwan’s political, economic and cultural development, as well as the current state of cross-strait relations and Taiwan’s participation in international organizations, and thus advance continued support for Taiwan in the Danish Parliament.
During their stay, the parliamentarians will call at the Legislative Yuan, the Council of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Administration, the Mainland Affairs Council, the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Bureau of Energy, and the Trade Council of Denmark, Taipei. In addition to attending a luncheon hosted in their honor by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Chih-Chung Wu, the delegation will also visit sites of economic and cultural significance such as the National Palace Museum, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Taiwan Women’s Center, the Taiwan Excellence Pavilion, Taipei 101, Longshan Temple and Taroko National Park, as well as elderly care facilities.
Taiwan is Denmark’s sixth-largest trading partner in Asia, while Denmark is Taiwan’s 14th largest trading partner in the European Union, with two-way trade reaching US$604 million in 2015. The two countries share the values of freedom, democracy and respect for human rights, as well as many cooperative niches in the areas of environmental protection, green energy, innovation and design, care for the elderly, and foodstuffs, providing opportunities to learn from one another and thus create a win-win situation.
In addition to Mr. Christiansen, the other members of the delegation are Pia Liselott Blixt, chairwoman of the Danish Parliament’s Health Committee; Pia Adelsteen, vice-chairwoman of the European Affairs Committee; Ib Poulsen, spokesman on agriculture and fisheries for the Danish People’s Party, and Mrs. Poulsen; and Henrik Brodersen, vice-chairman of the Faroe Islands Committee. (E)