Iceland–Taiwan relations

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Icelandic–Taiwanese relations

Iceland
Taiwan

Iceland–Taiwan relations refer to the bilateral relations between Iceland and Taiwan (officially the Republic of China, ROC). The two countries do not maintain official diplomatic relations as Iceland adheres to the One China policy, but contacts occur primarily through humanitarian cooperation, and academic exchanges, but have expanded contacts in finance, academia, and public diplomacy.

History

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Iceland supported the PRC's accession to the United Nations in 1971, voting in favor of United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI), which transferred China's UN seat from Taipei to Beijing.[1]

Since the 1990s, Iceland and Taiwan have developed informal contact through trade bodies and parliamentary groups.

In October 1997, Taiwanese Vice President Lien Chan visited Iceland. During this trip, he held a meal meeting with Icelandic Prime Minister Davíð Oddsson.[2]

In October 2004, Drifa Hjartardóttir, Chair of the Agriculture Committee of the Icelandic Parliament (Althing), visited Taiwan.[3]

In March 2005, a delegation of Icelandic parliamentarians visited Taiwan. The group included Sólveig Pétursdóttir, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee (who became Speaker of Parliament in August 2005), Gunnar Birgisson, Chair of the Education and Culture Committee, and Guðlaugur Þór Þórðarson, Chair of the Environment Committee.[4]

In August 2016, a Taiwanese exchange student studying in Iceland had her nationality recorded as "China" rather than "Taiwan" when applying for a residence permit.[5] Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs instructed the Taipei Representative Office in Denmark to provide assistance. After more than three months of negotiations, the registration was changed to "stateless".[6][7]

In May 2021, Iceland's Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Björn Leví Gunnarsson, along with 1,084 members of parliament from nearly 30 European countries, jointly wrote to World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, supporting Taiwan's participation in WHO meetings, mechanisms, and activities at the World Health Assembly (WHA).[8][9][10]

Representative offices

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Taiwan's government is represented in Iceland through the Taipei Representative Office in Denmark, which holds accreditation for Iceland,[11] while Iceland has no representative office in Taiwan.

Economic relations

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Bilateral trade between Iceland and Taiwan is modest. According to The Observatory of Economic Complexity, in 2023, Taiwan exported US$33.2 million to Iceland, with products mainly involving Broadcasting Equipment, Iron Fasteners, and Office Machine Parts; while Iceland exports to Taiwan amounted to US$35.9 million, with products mainly involving Non-fillet Frozen Fish, Industrial Food Preperation Machinery, and Processed Fish. Over the 5 years to 2023, exports from Taiwan to Iceland have increased at an average annual rate of 3.58%, growing from US$27.9 million in 2018 to US$33.2 million in 2023; while exports from Iceland to Taiwan have increased at an average annual rate of 7.75%, growing from US$24.7 million in 2018 to UD$35.9 million in 2023.[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "General Assembly, 26th session : 1976th plenary meeting, Monday, 25 October 1971, New York (A/PV.1976)". United Nations Digital Library. 1974. p. 41. Archived from the original on 15 February 2020. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  2. ^ "連戰一行抵達冰島". Chinese Television System (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 7 October 1997. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  3. ^ "冰島國會議員穆勒應邀訪台". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan) (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 8 October 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  4. ^ "冰島國會議員穆勒應邀訪台". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan) (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 14 March 2005. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  5. ^ Gerber, Abraham (20 November 2016). "Student rails against 'stateless' ID". Taipei Times. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  6. ^ Fontaine, Andie Sophia (23 November 2016). "Taiwanese Woman Opts For "Stateless" Rather Than "Chinese" On Icelandic Residence Permit". The Reykjavík Grapevine. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  7. ^ Yang, Olivia (21 November 2016). "Taiwanese Citizen Classified 'Stateless' on Iceland Residence Permit". The News Lens. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  8. ^ "歐洲「福爾摩沙俱樂部」領銜，獲全歐超過1,000位國會議員聯名致函，力挺台灣參與世界衛生大會". Overseas Community Affairs Council (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 14 May 2021. Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  9. ^ 林朝億 (13 May 2021). "超過千位歐洲國會議員致函譚德塞 挺台參與WHO". Newtalk (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  10. ^ 黃雅詩 (19 May 2022). "歐洲34國議員致函挺台入WHA 烏克蘭也在列". Central News Agency (Taiwan) (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  11. ^ "Taipei Representative Office in Denmark". Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Taiwan). Retrieved 21 November 2025.
  12. ^ "Iceland's exports to Chinese Taipei". Observatory of Economic Complexity. Retrieved 21 November 2025.