Using force to change the “status quo” across the Taiwan Strait would be “unacceptable,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) at a meeting in Beijing on Thursday.
“We all agree that stability in the Taiwan Strait is of paramount importance. We have a very clear interest in preserving this stability,” Von der Leyen said.
“The threat of, or the use of, force to change the status quo is unacceptable, and it is important that the tensions that might occur should be resolved through dialogue,” she said.
Photo: AP
Europe has “very clear interests in the [Indo-Pacific] region,” and therefore it has interests in seeing stability maintained in the Taiwan Strait, Von der Leyen said at a news conference following the meeting.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement thanked Von der Leyen for raising the issue in her meeting with Xi.
“Countries in the EU have repeatedly expressed support for Taiwan and concern for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, echoing similar statements from like-minded nations elsewhere, including the US and Japan,” it said.
“Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with international democratic partners to jointly maintain security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, as well as global freedom and democracy,” it added.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the “Taiwan issue is at the center of China’s core interests. Anyone who expects China to compromise on the Taiwan issue suffers from wishful thinking and will shoot themselves in the foot.”
Chinese state media reports on the meeting omitted Von der Leyen’s comments regarding the use of force.
Chinese news reports said that Von der Leyen “reiterates that the EU has no intention of changing the long-standing one China policy, recognizes the government of the People’s Republic of China as the sole legal government representing the whole of China, and hopes that the Taiwan Strait region will maintain peace and stability.”
Von der Leyen also discussed trade with Xi, saying that the EU’s trade deficit with China of nearly 400 billion euros (US$436.54 billion) is an “unsustainable trend.”
She also said that European companies face unfair competition in China, citing a “buy Chinese” policy that she said discriminates against outside manufacturers of medical equipment.
Companies are also under pressure to transfer technology and face insufficient protection against infringements on intellectual property rights, she said.
While not looking to decouple from China, the European Commission would adopt a “derisking” policy toward the country, she said, adding that trade and competition issues should be resolved through dialogue.
She also raised concerns about human rights in Xinjiang, and encouraged China to make more environmental progress.
DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: Taiwan shares the same values as those that fought in WWII, and nations must unite to halt the expansion of a new authoritarian bloc, Lai said The government yesterday held a commemoration ceremony for Victory in Europe (V-E) Day, joining the rest of the world for the first time to mark the anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Taiwan honoring V-E Day signifies “our growing connections with the international community,” President William Lai (賴清德) said at a reception in Taipei on the 80th anniversary of V-E Day. One of the major lessons of World War II is that “authoritarianism and aggression lead only to slaughter, tragedy and greater inequality,” Lai said. Even more importantly, the war also taught people that “those who cherish peace cannot
STEADFAST FRIEND: The bills encourage increased Taiwan-US engagement and address China’s distortion of UN Resolution 2758 to isolate Taiwan internationally The Presidential Office yesterday thanked the US House of Representatives for unanimously passing two Taiwan-related bills highlighting its solid support for Taiwan’s democracy and global participation, and for deepening bilateral relations. One of the bills, the Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act, requires the US Department of State to periodically review its guidelines for engagement with Taiwan, and report to the US Congress on the guidelines and plans to lift self-imposed limitations on US-Taiwan engagement. The other bill is the Taiwan International Solidarity Act, which clarifies that UN Resolution 2758 does not address the issue of the representation of Taiwan or its people in
US Indo-Pacific Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo on Friday expressed concern over the rate at which China is diversifying its military exercises, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Saturday. “The rates of change on the depth and breadth of their exercises is the one non-linear effect that I’ve seen in the last year that wakes me up at night or keeps me up at night,” Paparo was quoted by FT as saying while attending the annual Sedona Forum at the McCain Institute in Arizona. Paparo also expressed concern over the speed with which China was expanding its military. While the US
‘FALLACY’: Xi’s assertions that Taiwan was given to the PRC after WWII confused right and wrong, and were contrary to the facts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday called Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) claim that China historically has sovereignty over Taiwan “deceptive” and “contrary to the facts.” In an article published on Wednesday in the Russian state-run Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Xi said that this year not only marks 80 years since the end of World War II and the founding of the UN, but also “Taiwan’s restoration to China.” “A series of instruments with legal effect under international law, including the Cairo Declaration and the Potsdam Declaration have affirmed China’s sovereignty over Taiwan,” Xi wrote. “The historical and legal fact” of these documents, as well