TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Newly reelected European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen came under fire Friday (July 19) from China for standing up for Taiwan.
In her manifesto, the German politician had described the Indo-Pacific as a “decisive region.” She also called for “collective efforts to deploy the full range of our combined statecraft to deter China from unilaterally changing the status quo by military means, particularly over Taiwan.”
China responded with anger by saying Von der Leyen’s policy guidelines constituted "gross interference" in the country's internal affairs, per a Euronews article Friday. The Director General for European Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Lutong (王鲁彤), fanned the flames further by saying, "Playing with fire on Taiwan is highly dangerous."
In a further warning, Wang was quoted as saying: “Meddling and even trying to join forces is by no means a right choice for Europe."
In contrast, she was congratulated by Taiwan President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) Friday, who said on X (formerly Twitter) he appreciated her “steadfast support for peace & stability in the Taiwan Strait.” He added that he looked forward to building even stronger ties with the EU.
Congratulations, @vonderleyen, on your reelection as @EU_Commission President. Greatly appreciate your steadfast support for peace & stability in the Taiwan Strait. I look forward to fostering stronger #Taiwan-#EU ties built on our shared commitment to human rights & democracy.
— 賴清德Lai Ching-te (@ChingteLai) July 19, 2024
Von der Leyen, from the center-right European People’s Party (EPP), was reelected Thursday (July 18) after a secret ballot that saw the backing of 401 Members of the European Parliament. She is the 13th president of the EU and its first female leader.
In her manifesto, she outlined how Europe would work closely with regional actors such as Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, and Australia to address "common challenges in cyber, space and in the secure supply of critical minerals and technologies." She went on to say that Beijing should be prevented from upsetting the decades-long status quo in the Taiwan Strait.
In a Politico article Thursday, the news portal led with a headline saying, “Von der Leyen vows to stop China from invading Taiwan.” It added the U.S. believes China intends to attack Taiwan in 2027, which would be in the middle of Von der Leyen’s new five-year mandate.
