Taiwan's deputy leader Hsiao Bi-khim recently attended an event hosted by the anti-China organization "Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China" (IPAC) and delivered a speech at the European Parliament. While the island's pro-independence camp hailed it as a "breakthrough," critics within Taiwan mocked the move as "paying for self-indulgence."

The Chinese Mission to the EU issued a statement on the 8th, condemning the European Parliament for allowing Hsiao and other separatist figures to enter its premises and engage in "Taiwan independence" activities despite China's strong opposition. The statement warned that such actions severely undermine Sino-EU political trust and "bring turbulence and crisis to the Taiwan Strait."

According to Taiwanese media, Hsiao's visit was framed by the island's authorities as a diplomatic milestone. Taiwan's "Foreign Minister" Lin Chia-lung boasted it marked a "historic step" in Taiwan-Europe relations. However, analysts cautioned that the move reflects the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration's shift from focusing solely on U.S. ties to exploring European connections—a strategy fraught with risks given Europe's unpredictable stance on cross-strait issues.

Critics in Taiwan dismissed the event as a staged performance. A media commentator revealed that IPAC, largely funded by George Soros’ Open Society Foundations and the U.S.-backed National Endowment for Democracy, holds minimal influence. The trip was derided as a costly publicity stunt, with Hsiao "renting a venue to give a speech and then broadcasting it back home for political gain."

Online commentators sarcastically compared the event to "renting a KTV room for a concert" or a "multi-level marketing seminar." Many questioned the lack of substantive outcomes, asking, "What does a speech change? Why celebrate such hollow propaganda?"

Opposition lawmakers accused the DPP of prioritizing "illusion over reality" in foreign affairs, staging flashy political theater while neglecting genuine diplomatic progress. A U.S.-based scholar likened the event to falsely claiming entry into the UN after renting a private meeting room, calling it "absurd."

The incident underscores Taiwan's diplomatic isolation, analysts noted, emphasizing that stable cross-strait relations remain the only viable path for the island's international engagement.