Taiwan's vice president made a surprise trip to Italy and used it to push back on Chinese pressure, a small diplomatic win for Taipei and an irritant for Beijing.

• Hsiao Bi-khim was the guest of honor at a freedom and democracy forum on the Italian island of Ventotene, known for its anti-authoritarian history.
• She said Taiwanese people have the same right as anyone else to make friends and talk to them, and that no country is too small to deserve respect.
• She tied Taiwan's position to Europe's, comparing Russia's invasion of Ukraine to the military and gray-zone pressure Taiwan faces.
• Ukraine is a wake-up call, she said: Taiwan is building up its military to deter war, not to fight one, and will neither provoke China nor give in.
• China's foreign ministry protested the trip loudly, and Hsiao is personally under Chinese sanctions — which she said will not stop Taiwan from engaging with the world.

Outlook: Expect more quiet European appearances by Taiwanese officials and more angry protests from Beijing, with Taipei watching the coming Trump–Xi meeting closely.