Niklas Swanström gave lectures on strengthening Europe-Asia Relations under Trump 2.0 at the National Chengchi University and the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science

June 10, 2025: On May 13, 2025, the Institute for Security and Development Policy’s Stockholm Taiwan Center visited National Chengchi University (NCCU), where Director Niklas Swanström gave a lecture titled “Taiwan and Trump 2.0: The Need for Stronger Europe-Asia Relations.” He argued that Taiwan is Europe’s natural partner in the Indo-Pacific, highlighting its democratic values, innovation capacity, and strategic position within global supply chains. He warned that rising cross-strait tensions, fueled by blurred military boundaries and intensified exercises, place Taiwan at the center of geopolitical uncertainty.

Swanström emphasized the urgency for deeper EU-Taiwan cooperation in key areas such as trade, defense, cybersecurity, and green technology. He noted that the EU’s bureaucratic inefficiency and limited military capacity hinder its strategic autonomy, particularly amid growing U.S. unpredictability. During the visit, Swanström, along with Taiwan Center team Yi-Chieh Chen and Agust Börjesson, met with Professor Yeh-Chung Lu, Associate Dean of NCCU’s Department of Diplomacy, and Associate Professor Cho-Hsin Su, Department of Diplomacy, for further discussions on Taiwan-related security and diplomatic issues.

On May 16, Swanström also gave a related lecture at the Taipei School of Economics and Political Science, National Tsing Hua University. He and Chen met with Dean Chen Tain-jy to discuss Taiwan’s semiconductor industry and its critical role in global economic and technological resilience. Throughout the visit, Swanström stressed that Taiwan remains a key partner for Europe in confronting shared democratic, economic, and security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.