On the small Italian island of Ventotene, a gathering devoted to democratic principles quietly welcomed one of Taiwan's highest-ranking officials — a visit kept secret until arrival precisely because the world's geopolitical fault lines run so close to such moments. Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim attended a European democracy conference this week, accompanied by the island's foreign minister, in a rare act of high-level diplomatic engagement that required deliberate concealment to outpace Beijing's pressure. European Parliament officials did not merely permit the visit — they defended i