Taiwan scored a diplomatic win as a 10-member cross-party Italian parliamentary delegation arrived in Taipei, a positive sign for Taiwan's push to deepen ties with Europe.

• President Lai Ching-te received the delegation, the biggest Italy has ever sent, led by Senate Vice President Gian Marco Centinaio on his fifth trip to Taiwan.
• The group spans both houses and both the ruling and opposition parties, which Centinaio said makes it a stand-in for all of Italy.
• Italy is Taiwan's fourth-biggest trading partner in the EU, and both sides want more trade and industrial cooperation.
• Lai framed the visit as democracies backing each other as authoritarian power grows, while Centinaio stressed keeping things as they are across the Taiwan Strait.
• A new Italian law protecting borrowed foreign artworks from seizure opens the door for Taiwanese art to be shown in Italy.

Outlook: The delegation stays through Saturday for talks on farming, health and trade and visits to southern Taiwan, and Beijing is likely to protest the trip.