The leaders of Japan and EU institutions yesterday referred to the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement following a virtual summit, a move indicating their concern over China’s assertive push in regional affairs.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held a videoconference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel, before issuing a statement saying that the leaders remained “seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas,” where Beijing has been projecting its naval might.
“We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues,” the statement said.
Photo: Bloomberg
The reference to Taiwan was the first in a statement from the leaders, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun reported yesterday, citing several unidentified Japanese government sources.
It follows similar wording in a joint statement issued after Suga met US President Joe Biden last month, which sparked criticism from Beijing.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it welcomed the Japan-EU joint statement, despite the lack of formal ties.
The Japanese government has repeatedly said that Japan and Taiwan share similar values in freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and that Taiwan is an important partner and friend of Japan, ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou (歐江安) said in a statement.
The government would continue to work with Japan, the EU and other like-minded partners to defend democracy and a rules-based international order and to maintain the peace, stability and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific region, she said.
Tensions between Taiwan and China have worsened in the past few months, as Chinese military forces ratcheted up exercises in the area, raising the risk of a conflict that could draw in the US.
The meeting came as several European countries seek more involvement in the security of the Asia-Pacific region, a key to global economic growth.
French troops took part in an exercise with Japan and the US on Japanese soil for the first time earlier this month, while Germany is expected to deploy a frigate to Asia later in the year.
The UK is also sending its new aircraft carrier, the HMS Queen Elizabeth, on a tour including stops in Japan and South Korea, as part of its maiden voyage.
Although the Chinese Communist Party has never ruled Taiwan, it views control of the nation as essential to completing its goal of reversing China’s “century of humiliation” by colonial powers.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has shown an increased willingness to assert sovereignty claims from the South China Sea to the Himalayan Plateau and Hong Kong.
Additional reporting by Lin Chia-nan
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
CHINA REACTS: The patrol and reconnaissance plane ‘transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,’ the 7th Fleet said, while Taipei said it saw nothing unusual The US 7th Fleet yesterday said that a US Navy P-8A Poseidon flew through the Taiwan Strait, a day after US and Chinese defense heads held their first talks since November 2022 in an effort to reduce regional tensions. The patrol and reconnaissance plane “transited the Taiwan Strait in international airspace,” the 7th Fleet said in a news release. “By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations.” In a separate statement, the Ministry of National Defense said that it monitored nearby waters and airspace as the aircraft
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source