Taiwanese human rights worker Lee Ming-che, once jailed in China, told European Parliament members that Beijing's reach into democracies silences activists and their families — a warning aimed squarely at Europe.

• Lee visited the European Parliament in Brussels to press for stronger protection of human rights workers targeted by China.
• He described how Chinese officials used local helpers to threaten his wife while he was in prison, pressuring her to stop speaking out and cut ties with Taiwan's government.
• Families of other prisoners in China face the same trap: speaking publicly could make things worse for their relatives, so the truth stays hidden.
• EU lawmakers compared Taiwan's position to Ukraine's, asking how Taiwan handles Chinese infiltration and what aid it sends Kyiv.
• Fellow campaigner Hsiao Yi-min said China also stokes distrust of Taiwan's courts and government through information manipulation, making victim support and legal reform part of the defense of democracy.

Outlook: Lee's group wants Europe to follow through on its Hong Kong resolution and build closer ties with Taiwanese civil society, so expect more pressure on EU institutions to treat cross-border repression as a security issue.