Denmark has consistently defended Greenland in light of US President Donald Trump’s interests and has provided unwavering support to Ukraine during its war with Russia. Denmark can be proud of its clear support for peoples’ democratic right to determine their own future. However, this democratic ideal completely falls apart when it comes to Taiwan — and it raises important questions about Denmark’s commitment to supporting democracies.
Taiwan lives under daily military threats from China, which seeks to take over Taiwan, by force if necessary — an annexation that only a very small minority in Taiwan supports.
Denmark has given China a significant anniversary gift: It has decided that Taiwanese are Chinese and should therefore list “China” as their nationality on residency permits.
The decision was cemented at a parliamentary consultation on May 6 and marks a significant change, as Taiwanese nationality had been listed as “Taiwan” since 1978.
In other words, Denmark now considers Taiwan to be part of China, implying that 23 million Taiwanese should be subject to an authoritarian regime that threatens not only Taiwan, but also the surrounding South China Sea region.
Taiwan is a well-functioning democracy with press freedom surpassing that of several EU countries, and it is not just in terms of values that Taiwan is an ally. The EU has, in realpolitik terms, recognized that Taiwan’s technologies and related supply chains are critical and has increased cooperation with the nation over the years.
Taiwan is one of the world’s 25 largest industrial nations. Even Trump maintains close engagement with Taiwan, as have other US presidents.
We live in a time when democracies are under pressure, and this decision touches on fundamental democratic principles. The registration change is a decision made by Denmark’s government, not a technical update, as it wants the rest of us to believe.
That was made clear at the parliamentary consultation, with Danish Minister for Immigration and Integration Kaare Dybvad repeatedly saying that Denmark’s “one China” policy is the reason that Taiwanese in Denmark must list “China” as their nationality on their residency cards, based on advice from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Now we arrive at a very central point: China is trying to influence countries to adopt its “one China” principle, which claims that Taiwan is part of China. That fundamentally differs from Denmark’s previously pragmatic “one China” policy and the EU’s “one China” policy, which explicitly does not take a position on Taiwan’s status in relation to China. In other words, Denmark has never before misused its “one China” policy to conclude that Taiwan belongs to China, but is now leaning toward Beijing’s position.
There are many conflicts around the world. China’s military posture toward Taiwan is increasingly viewed with concern, and any potential conflict would have economic and technological consequences for the world, including Denmark. Other EU countries have found solutions, but Denmark is choosing to take an indecent position among democracies.
Michael Danielsen is chairman of Taiwan Corner.
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