Source: Republic of China Taiwan
MOFA response to false claims online regarding Vice President Hsiao’s attendance at IPAC annual summit
November 12, 2025
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) solemnly issues the following clarification in response to false claims online regarding Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s attendance at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) annual summit.
1. Vice President Hsiao was invited by IPAC EU Cochairs Miriam Lexmann and Bernard Guetta to deliver a keynote address at the IPAC annual summit held in the European Parliament. Online claims that financial support was exchanged for the invitation are entirely fabricated and completely inconsistent with the facts.
In addition, online reports suggested that IPAC had received donations from such organizations as Hello Taiwan. Even if such donations were made, they would have been conducted independently by the parties in accordance with their respective articles of association and relevant regulations.
MOFA emphasizes that Vice President Hsiao’s trip to Europe was at the invitation of IPAC to deliver an address at its annual summit in Brussels; that it did not involve any third party; and that it was arranged and conducted in the strictest confidence.
2. To deepen international support for Taiwan, MOFA has a long-standing practice of allocating funds—subject to oversight by the Legislative Yuan—to regularly invite members of parliament and other prominent political figures from friendly nations to Taiwan. On past visits to Taiwan, IPAC Cochairs Lexmann and Guetta both took the initiative to inform the European Parliament of their acceptance of related invitations in accordance with the European Parliament’s rules and regulations. During the process, they adhered to the principle of transparency, as is the standard for exchanges between mature democracies that uphold the rule of law.
MOFA reiterates that Taiwan’s international cooperation and exchanges have long aligned with the principles of openness, transparency, mutual benefit, respect, democracy, and the rule of law. MOFA protests in the strongest terms and deeply regrets that online media reports employed unverified and one-sided claims, which sought to confuse and mislead the public. MOFA urges the media to verify all information so as to avoid damaging journalistic integrity and Taiwan’s international image.