Despite the failure of six Taiwan-related bills in Portugal’s parliament, Taiwan’s envoy to Portugal, Chang Ya-kuang, expressed optimism on Friday about the growing attention to Taiwan-related issues in the country.
The six motions, which included proposals to establish a Portuguese representative office in Taiwan, were rejected in a plenary vote. The vote followed a debate in the Portuguese parliament on Wednesday, the first time the issue was substantively discussed under the chairmanship of the speaker. The proposals were introduced by multiple political parties, including the Liberal Initiative (IL), the People-Animals-Nature party, the Left Bloc, and the far-right Chega party.
The Liberal Initiative put forward two motions, one of which called for the establishment of a representative office in Taiwan, while another urged the government to address what it deemed improper treatment of Taiwan by Portugal’s administration. The People-Animals-Nature party also introduced similar proposals, while the Left Bloc suggested strengthening relations with Taiwan while respecting Portugal’s diplomatic ties with China. The Chega party advocated for Portugal to act as a mediator in easing tensions between Beijing and Taipei.
In response to the results, Taiwan’s representative to Portugal, Chang Ya-kuang, commented that, although the proposals were not successful, the debate and vote represented significant progress in raising awareness of Taiwan-related issues in Portugal’s legislative body. She acknowledged that some lawmakers chose to abstain rather than vote against the motions, interpreting this as a sign of growing support for Taiwan.
Chang also pointed to increased media attention on Taiwan in Portugal, particularly from outlets like Observador, as another encouraging sign. In a phone interview, IL lawmaker Rui Rocha stated that the proposals were grounded in “common sense” and a “pragmatic approach,” noting that Taiwan and Portugal already maintain economic ties, mutual investment, tourism exchanges, and expatriate communities in both nations.
Rocha emphasized that strengthening ties with Taiwan was not a matter of geopolitics but of mutual benefit for the people of Portugal, Europe, and Taiwan. He pointed out Taiwan’s importance in global industries such as semiconductors and its dynamic economy, arguing that it was inconsistent for Portugal to host a Taiwanese representative office without establishing one in Taipei. He further stated that the IL would continue to raise Taiwan-related proposals in the future and that the parliamentary debate on the matter remained crucial for eventual policy shifts.
