“Harmonious” or not, China’s rise has become a virtual reality for the empire’s neighbors. China’s recent actions in the South China Sea and toward Japan have led several Asian countries to consider the US as a welcome guardian in Asia. China’s recent military displays have created a new strategic opportunity for the US that can strengthen democratic forces in Asia and attract new friends.
It is therefore paradoxical that the EU appears to have failed to behave as an international leader by embracing China’s censorship. A few days before Liu Xiaobo (劉曉波) was declared the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, the EU apparently limited press freedom in an embarrassing event involving two China-critical media, the Epoch Times and New Tang Dynasty Television. Both media were denied access to a press conference between the EU and China in what looks like a quiet agreement with China. Access was allowed when other media interacted, but the press conference was subsequently canceled.
A coincidence? Hardly. The Epoch Times and New Tang Dynasty Television are just too critical of China.
Apparently, the EU prefers that China set the agenda for press freedom instead of the EU drawing the famous line in the sand. The EU is therefore revealing itself to be an embarrassing and spineless international institution that puts fundamental core values up for sale. It is not difficult to draw a direct link to China’s shopping spree in the 10 crisis-hit southern European countries, like Italy and Greece.
Now that democracies are weakening, according to Freedom House, it is essential that the EU and the US set a clear and uncompromising democratic agenda because democratic allies in Asia and around the world are far better alternatives for a sustainable future. The authoritarian forces that impede democratic development must be challenged by supporting democracies in a way that helps them grow stronger in cooperation with EU and the US.
Taiwan remains a prime example of a democratic success story in Asia, yet the EU still fears to support it because China claims ownership of Taiwan. For a start, the EU should stop bowing its head to China and start demonstrating international leadership by taking advantage of Taiwan’s independent membership in the WTO to conclude a free-trade agreement with the nation, just as the EU has done with South Korea.
The point is that China must be held accountable for international agreements. In addition, the EU should allow its leaders to meet officially with all of Taiwan’s leaders. This will create an open dialogue that prevents misunderstandings caused by messages being filtered through several diplomatic channels. Later, a new Taiwan policy should be created that abandons the outdated “one China” policy and instead embraces the right of Taiwanese to determine their own future.
China is not yet a responsible nation that can strengthen democracies and the international order. Rather, it is an undemocratic country with ambitions for world power. Therefore the EU must stand strong on democratic development because the alternative is a world dominated by undemocratic forces.
Michael Danielsen is the chairman of Taiwan Corner.
President William Lai (賴清德) attended a dinner held by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) when representatives from the group visited Taiwan in October. In a speech at the event, Lai highlighted similarities in the geopolitical challenges faced by Israel and Taiwan, saying that the two countries “stand on the front line against authoritarianism.” Lai noted how Taiwan had “immediately condemned” the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas and had provided humanitarian aid. Lai was heavily criticized from some quarters for standing with AIPAC and Israel. On Nov. 4, the Taipei Times published an opinion article (“Speak out on the
Eighty-seven percent of Taiwan’s energy supply this year came from burning fossil fuels, with more than 47 percent of that from gas-fired power generation. The figures attracted international attention since they were in October published in a Reuters report, which highlighted the fragility and structural challenges of Taiwan’s energy sector, accumulated through long-standing policy choices. The nation’s overreliance on natural gas is proving unstable and inadequate. The rising use of natural gas does not project an image of a Taiwan committed to a green energy transition; rather, it seems that Taiwan is attempting to patch up structural gaps in lieu of
The image was oddly quiet. No speeches, no flags, no dramatic announcements — just a Chinese cargo ship cutting through arctic ice and arriving in Britain in October. The Istanbul Bridge completed a journey that once existed only in theory, shaving weeks off traditional shipping routes. On paper, it was a story about efficiency. In strategic terms, it was about timing. Much like politics, arriving early matters. Especially when the route, the rules and the traffic are still undefined. For years, global politics has trained us to watch the loud moments: warships in the Taiwan Strait, sanctions announced at news conferences, leaders trading
News about expanding security cooperation between Israel and Taiwan, including the visits of Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) in September and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Francois Wu (吳志中) this month, as well as growing ties in areas such as missile defense and cybersecurity, should not be viewed as isolated events. The emphasis on missile defense, including Taiwan’s newly introduced T-Dome project, is simply the most visible sign of a deeper trend that has been taking shape quietly over the past two to three years. Taipei is seeking to expand security and defense cooperation with Israel, something officials
RSS