Germany's capital has given its pro-Taiwan caucus official status, a small but pointed win for Taipei and an irritant for Beijing.

• The Berlin-Taipei friendship group is now formally registered — the first official foreign-friendship body in the city's state parliament.
• 18 lawmakers from the conservative CDU, the center-left SPD and the Greens joined, showing support cuts across party lines.
• The group started informally in 2022 and only now won backing from all three parliamentary caucuses.
• Co-chair Jian Omar tied the move directly to China's military and political pressure on Taiwan, calling Taiwan a democratic anchor in Asia.
• Similar informal groups already exist in Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Hesse and Bavaria, so Berlin's step could become the template.

Outlook: Expect more Berlin lawmakers to visit Taiwan and other German states to follow with formal groups of their own, drawing complaints from Beijing.