EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell called on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait, in an opinion article published in a French weekly yesterday.
Borrell’s comments in Le Journal du Dimanche echoed comments he made last week when he stressed how crucial Taiwan is to Europe.
He said that Taiwan “concerns us economically, commercially and technologically.”
Photo: Bloomberg
“That’s why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to show Europe’s commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial area,” he added.
Two weeks ago, China launched three days of military exercises around Taiwan — simulating targeted strikes and a blockade of the nation — in response to a meeting between President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) and US House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.
On Tuesday, in a speech opening a debate on China at the European Parliament, Borrell talked about Taiwan’s importance to Europe.
“Taiwan is clearly part of our geostrategic perimeter to guarantee peace,” he said.
“It is not only for a moral reason that an action against Taiwan must necessarily be rejected. It is also because it would be, in economic terms, extremely serious for us, because Taiwan has a strategic role in the production of the most advanced semiconductors,” he said.
His comments came after French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this month argued that Europe should not be a “follower” of Washington or Beijing in the event of conflict with China over Taiwan.
Macron’s comments, following a visit to China, sparked criticism from some politicians in the US and inside the EU.
In Taipei, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday thanked the EU for repeatedly underlining the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.
The EU shows that it values and supports Taiwan by opposing any unilateral change to the cross-strait “status quo” and stressing that Taiwan is crucial to Europe’s geostrategic interests for its role in the semiconductor supply chain and maintaining regional peace, the ministry said in a statement.
As a key member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to deepen ties with like-minded democratic partners, enhance key supply chain resilience and safeguard regional peace, stability and prosperity, it added.
Additional reporting by Sally Liu
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