Lisbon, Oct. 8, 2026 (Lusa) - Taiwan wants to expand its bilateral relations with Portugal beyond economic ties, into areas such as science and research, the territory's representative said in an interview with the Lusa news agency.
Just over a year after taking up her post as representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in Lisbon, Grace Ya-kuang Chang told Lusa that her main objective in Portugal is to unlock the «considerable untapped potential» in bilateral relations with «Formosa» [The former name given to the island of Taiwan in the 16th century by Portuguese navigators], which celebrates its 115th National Day next Saturday.
«Since my arrival, I believe one of my main objectives has been to expand bilateral relations, not limiting them solely to economic ties,» she emphasised.
The areas to be developed, according to Chang, are science and research, people-to-people and talent exchanges, education, and interaction between local communities.
To achieve these objectives, she advocated «grassroots diplomacy» to foster «greater understanding» between Taipei and Lisbon.
Chang argued that between Taiwan and Portugal «there are many similarities» in terms of values and proximity to the sea.
«Our two countries are maritime nations. We have a very strong connection to the sea and to open societies. Furthermore, we have the strength and ambition needed to face a more challenging world», she argued.
As part of this shared vision of the sea, she highlighted the collaboration between Taiwan's National Research Institute and INESCTEC, a research centre dedicated to ocean research and engineering, during an event in Bordeaux.
«They have begun to explore possibilities for collaboration and cooperation in ocean-related studies, such as marine robotics and autonomous systems, AI [artificial intelligence], as well as underwater inspection and infrastructure inspection,» she explained, adding that she hopes this will be one example of a deepening of relations in this area.
Although the sea is a clear point of contact, Chang emphasised that the main similarities between Lisbon and Taipei lie in their democratic values.
«We all believe in an open society, as I have just mentioned, and we value democracy, we value freedom of expression and we respect the rule of law. I think these similarities speak volumes,» she continued.
China regards Taiwan as an «inalienable part» of its territory and does not rule out the use of force to take control of the island, a position rejected by the Taiwanese authorities, who maintain that Taiwan is already, ‘de facto', a sovereign and independent country.
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