European Parliament Vice President Pina Picierno on Saturday praised Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) as a role model for freedom-loving women around the world and told CNA that she would soon begin planning a trip to Taipei after accepting Hsiao’s invitation to visit.
Hsiao made an unannounced visit to Italy to attend the Second Ventotene European Conference for Freedom and Democracy on the Italian island of Ventotene at the invitation of the event organizers, despite strong protests from Beijing.
In an interview with CNA on the sidelines of the event on Saturday, Picierno, the conference’s main initiator, described Hsiao as a role model.
“I believe the world needs the courage of women; and throughout history, many women have changed the course of history through their determination,” Picierno said.
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“As authoritarian regimes threaten our democracies, we have an even greater need for courageous women like Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim,” she added.
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Picierno noted that Hsiao fights for human rights and women’s rights and is a “staunch pro-democracy activist who inspires freedom-loving women across the world.”
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The trip was Hsiao’s second visit to a European country that recognizes Beijing instead of Taipei since she took office in May 2024. Her first visit was in November 2025 to Brussels to address a meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China.
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