EU Parliament Condemn China’s Plot to Distort History, International Law, Intimidate Taiwan

Bayo Akinloye in Taipei, Taiwan

European Union Parliament has condemned China’s continued military provocations against Taiwan and “firmly rejects any unilateral change to the status quo” in the Taiwan Strait.
The EU lawmakers said these attempts, particularly using force or coercion, “will not be accepted and will incur a decisive and firm reaction.”

In a recent resolution adopted by 432 votes in favour, 60 against and 71 abstentions, the legislators condemned China’s “unwarranted military exercises” of October 14 and “continued military provocations” against Taiwan, stressing that the military build-up changes the power balance in the Indo-Pacific.

On Sunday night, an official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) in Taipei told THISDAY that while Taiwanese are not “naive” to the potentially “dangerous” activities of Beijing, the small Asian nation is determined to protect its democracy and sovereignty.
The EU Parliament “strongly rejects China’s attempts to distort history and international rules and underlines that UN resolution 2758 does not take a position” on Taiwan and “opposes China’s constant efforts to block Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organisations and calls on the EU and its member states to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations such as the World Health Organisation, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol), and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
Meanwhile, Beijing has warned the EU lawmakers that “the Taiwan question concerns China’s sovereignty” and “it is a red line that must not be crossed.”

“China strongly deplores and opposes this egregious breach of the one-China principle and interference in China’s internal affairs,” a spokesperson for the Chinese Mission to the EU said.
The lawmakers also urged the UN to grant Taiwanese nationals and journalists the right to access its premises.
However, the resolution noted that the EU “remains committed to its ‘One China’ policy as the political foundation of EU-China relations, supporting initiatives that foster dialogue and confidence-building, stressed the EU Parliament.

However, the European legislators condemned statements by Chinese President Xi Jinping that the People’s Republic of China will never renounce the right to use force concerning Taiwan, insisting that using coercive measures to achieve unification contradicts international law. They highlighted that only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent the Taiwanese people internationally and express their concern over China’s use of hostile disinformation to undermine trust in Taiwan’s democracy and governance.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs strongly affirms and sincerely appreciates this support. The EP resolution points out that UNGA Resolution 2758 addresses the status of the PRC but does not determine that the PRC enjoys sovereignty over Taiwan, nor does it make any judgement on the future inclusion of Taiwan in the UN or any other international organisation.
“It also states that Taiwan has never been part of the PRC,” MOFA said in a statement.

According to the EU Parliament, China’s increasingly aggressive behaviour, particularly in its neighbourhoods, such as the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea, poses a risk to regional and global security.
“The EU and its member states should step up their maritime capacities in the region,” the statement stressed. “Parliament also voices concerns about China and Russia’s renewed commitment to strengthen their military ties further, condemning the Chinese supply of equipment to Moscow.”