Taiwan’s newly inaugurated president, Lai Ching-te, has drawn a bold historical parallel between his island nation and the European democracies that stood on the brink of war with Nazi Germany in the 1930s, warning of the growing threat posed by modern authoritarian regimes.
In a striking speech delivered to foreign dignitaries gathered in Taipei to commemorate the end of the Second World War in Europe, a first-of-its-kind official observance by Taiwan, Lai emphasised the shared values and common challenges faced by Taiwan and democratic nations across the globe.
“Eighty years after the end of the European war, the message of history is clear,” Lai declared. “Today, we share the same values and face similar challenges as many of the democracies that participated in the European war.”
The event, rich in symbolism, opened with a video montage featuring footage from the D-Day landings and excerpts from Winston Churchill’s rousing “We shall fight on the beaches” speech. It also featured addresses from key European representatives, including Ruth Bradley-Jones, the UK’s top envoy in Taiwan, and Lutz Güllner from the European Economic and Trade Office.
Lai’s remarks come at a time of mounting military and political pressure from China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has not ruled out the use of force to annexe the self-governing island. The conflict over Taiwan’s status remains one of the most volatile flashpoints in global geopolitics.
Referring to China in veiled terms, Lai urged “freedom-loving people and countries” to unite against authoritarianism, warning that “appeasement will only make the invaders more greedy and expand their ambitions.”
“Taiwan and Europe are jointly facing the threat of a new totalitarian group,” he said.
Analysts interpret Lai’s speech as an attempt to reinforce Taiwan’s relevance to European security and global democratic resilience. Marcin Jerzewski, head of the Taiwan office of the European Values Centre for Security Policy, noted that the speech was a strategic message aimed at ensuring Europe remains engaged in Indo-Pacific security, even amid anxieties over the reliability of U.S. support under President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Lai is trying to send the message that the security and prosperity of Taiwan and Europe are interconnected,” Jerzewski said.
Lai’s remarks also sought to redefine Taiwan not as a passive recipient of Western support but as a proactive partner. “Taiwan wants to be a partner, not just a recipient, of western largesse,” said Wen-Ti Sung, a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Global China Hub.
Meanwhile, in a symbolic counterpoint, Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow for Russia’s World War II victory celebrations, which this year will include Chinese troops in the parade. Xi’s visit highlights Beijing’s deepening ties with Moscow amid its continued support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, a development that has alarmed Western capitals.
In an article published in Russian media ahead of the visit, Xi underscored the historical significance of Taiwan, referring to the commemorations as marking “the 80th anniversary of Taiwan’s recovery” by China. He declared that reunification with Taiwan is an “unstoppable” historical trend and praised Russia’s backing of China’s reunification efforts.
As China continues to ramp up military exercises around Taiwan and deploys greyzone tactics such as disinformation campaigns, Lai’s speech signals a sharpened diplomatic stance, an appeal for global solidarity and a clear warning that the echoes of the 20th century are being heard once more in the 21st.
