TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The EU’s Foreign Minister has called on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to signify Europe's commitment to freedom of navigation in the region, but also issued a warning against provocations and increasing tensions.
Josep Borrell made the comments in a piece published in Le Journal du Dimanche on Saturday (April 22), and said that the EU’s Taiwan position is simple and consistent. “In our view, there is only one China, but not under any conditions, and certainly not through the use of force,” Borrell said.
Maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait is important to Europe economically and technologically, Borrell said. “This is why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to signify Europe's commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial area.”
Borrell made the comments alongside a wider commentary on the EU’s relationship with China, that he said is characterized by rivalry and partnership at the same time. He said that the EU’s disagreements with China on economic issues are just as serious as on human rights.
EU companies are disadvantaged in Chinese markets because of restrictions placed on them by the government, Borrell said, and that going forward reciprocity will be made a “concrete principle” of EU-China relations. “Happy globalization is over,” he said.
Borrell’s comments follow French President Emanuel Macron’s controversial comments on Taiwan made after a state visit to China, in which the president said EU countries should not become U.S. followers on China policy, and advocated for strategic autonomy for Europe. French lawmakers and Macron himself have since spoken out and reaffirmed their support for maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed gratitude for Borrell’s comments in a statement on Sunday, and said Taiwan will continue to deepen cooperation with the EU.
On Friday, China’s top diplomat weighed in on the ongoing diplomatic spat between his country and South Korea over Taiwan, after the South Korean president said China challenging the status quo was the reason for growing regional tensions. China’s spokesperson for foreign affairs added to the rebuke on Friday and said blaming China for increasing tensions was a “narrative trap designed with malign purpose.”
