Legislator Meets Irish Parliamentary Delegation, Hopes for Resumption of Irish Representative Office in Taiwan
Legislative Yuan Vice President Johnny Chiang met with an eight-member Irish cross-party parliamentary delegation led by Senator Garret Ahearn. Chiang noted the deepening bilateral exchanges and highlighted Taiwan and Ireland's shared values as island economies with high trade dependence and competitiveness. He expressed hope that Ireland would resume its representative office in Taipei to further strengthen bilateral relations, complementing Taiwan's existing representative office in Ireland. Ahearn acknowledged Taiwan's importance in Ireland's parliamentary friendships and pledged continued support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 8, 2026 at 21:18
- 🔍 Collected: April 8, 2026 at 22:00 (42 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 8, 2026 at 22:59 (59 min after Collected)
Legislative Yuan Vice President Johnny Chiang, accompanied by legislators Chang Chih-lun (KMT), Kuo Yu-ching (DPP), and Chen Chao-tzu (TPP), met with an eight-member 'Irish Cross-Party Parliamentary Delegation' led by Senator Garret Ahearn.
Chiang stated that this is the fourth Irish parliamentary delegation hosted by the current Legislative Yuan in over two years, indicating continuous deepening of bilateral exchanges. He expressed gratitude for the warm reception during his visit to Ireland in September last year.
Chiang pointed out that although Taiwan and Ireland are geographically distant, both are island economies with high dependence on foreign trade and possess high competitiveness. According to the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025, Taiwan and Ireland rank 6th and 7th globally, respectively. Furthermore, the UN's 2026 World Happiness Report ranks Ireland 13th and Taiwan 26th, indicating both are high-happiness countries. Both sides share core values of freedom, democracy, and human rights, and he thanked the Irish Parliament for its long-term support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Chiang further noted that Taiwan and Ireland have high potential for cooperation in fields such as green energy, smart economy, innovative industries, and healthcare. Both sides have complementary strengths and should continue to deepen cooperation for mutual development. Taiwan has established a representative office in Ireland and hopes that Ireland will resume its presence in Taipei to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Ahearn expressed his pleasure at visiting Taiwan again after two years and thanked the Legislative Yuan for its warm reception. He noted that this delegation of eight parliamentarians is the largest Irish parliamentary group to visit Taiwan since 2018, making it particularly significant. Ireland completed its parliamentary elections over a year ago, and except for himself, all other delegation members were newly elected. Their visit aims to deepen their understanding of Taiwan-Ireland relations and establish exchange foundations early on.
Ahearn pointed out that delegation members come from various parts of Ireland and cover diverse professional fields, making them highly representative. Several members are also part of the 'Irish Parliamentary Friendship Group with Taiwan,' which, among over 50 international friendship groups in the Irish Parliament, is the second largest after the US-related group, highlighting Taiwan's importance in the Irish Parliament. Ireland has long supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations, including as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA), and will continue to speak out for Taiwan in the future. (Editor: Su Lung-chi) 1150408
Chiang stated that this is the fourth Irish parliamentary delegation hosted by the current Legislative Yuan in over two years, indicating continuous deepening of bilateral exchanges. He expressed gratitude for the warm reception during his visit to Ireland in September last year.
Chiang pointed out that although Taiwan and Ireland are geographically distant, both are island economies with high dependence on foreign trade and possess high competitiveness. According to the IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2025, Taiwan and Ireland rank 6th and 7th globally, respectively. Furthermore, the UN's 2026 World Happiness Report ranks Ireland 13th and Taiwan 26th, indicating both are high-happiness countries. Both sides share core values of freedom, democracy, and human rights, and he thanked the Irish Parliament for its long-term support for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.
Chiang further noted that Taiwan and Ireland have high potential for cooperation in fields such as green energy, smart economy, innovative industries, and healthcare. Both sides have complementary strengths and should continue to deepen cooperation for mutual development. Taiwan has established a representative office in Ireland and hopes that Ireland will resume its presence in Taipei to further strengthen bilateral relations.
Ahearn expressed his pleasure at visiting Taiwan again after two years and thanked the Legislative Yuan for its warm reception. He noted that this delegation of eight parliamentarians is the largest Irish parliamentary group to visit Taiwan since 2018, making it particularly significant. Ireland completed its parliamentary elections over a year ago, and except for himself, all other delegation members were newly elected. Their visit aims to deepen their understanding of Taiwan-Ireland relations and establish exchange foundations early on.
Ahearn pointed out that delegation members come from various parts of Ireland and cover diverse professional fields, making them highly representative. Several members are also part of the 'Irish Parliamentary Friendship Group with Taiwan,' which, among over 50 international friendship groups in the Irish Parliament, is the second largest after the US-related group, highlighting Taiwan's importance in the Irish Parliament. Ireland has long supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations, including as an observer at the World Health Assembly (WHA), and will continue to speak out for Taiwan in the future. (Editor: Su Lung-chi) 1150408
FAQ
Who met with the Irish parliamentary delegation?
Legislative Yuan Vice President Johnny Chiang met with the delegation.
What is the significance of this meeting?
It is the fourth Irish parliamentary delegation hosted by the current Legislative Yuan in over two years, indicating deepening bilateral exchanges.
What commonalities do Taiwan and Ireland share?
Both are island economies with high dependence on foreign trade, possess high competitiveness, and share core values of freedom, democracy, and human rights.
What does Taiwan hope for regarding Ireland's representation?
Taiwan hopes that Ireland will resume its representative office in Taipei to further strengthen bilateral relations.
What is Ireland's stance on Taiwan's international participation?
Ireland has long supported Taiwan's participation in international organizations and will continue to speak out for Taiwan.