The US and EU issued a joint statement on Wednesday supporting Taiwan’s international participation, notably omitting the “one China” policy in a departure from previous similar statements, following high-level talks on China and the Indo-Pacific region.
The statement also urged China to show restraint in the Taiwan Strait.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino cochaired the seventh US-EU Dialogue on China and the sixth US-EU Indo-Pacific Consultations from Monday to Tuesday.
Photo: AP
Since the Indo-Pacific consultations were launched in 2021, references to the “one China” policy have appeared in every statement apart from the one issued on Wednesday and another in April 2022.
In 2021, both sides reaffirmed cooperation with Taiwan while adhering to their respective “one China” policies.
After the policy was omitted in a statement released in April 2022, it was mentioned in December of that year, affirming unchanged positions.
In the latest statement, the US and EU emphasized the need for peace in the Taiwan Strait, rejecting unilateral changes to the “status quo,” particularly through force.
The US and EU stressed the importance of maintaining open communication with China while engaging in fair competition and pursuing diplomacy on common interests and disagreements.
They expressed concern over China’s support for Russia in its war in Ukraine and urged Beijing to uphold international law, stressing that any peace plan must respect sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The two sides also addressed China’s human rights abuses, particularly in Tibet and Xinjiang, and called for cooperation with the UN human rights office.
They pledged to counter China’s transnational repression and raised concerns over the erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy.
Condemning China’s actions in the East and South China seas, the US and the EU cited the importance of freedom of navigation and the peaceful resolution of disputes, especially regarding the Philippines.
They reaffirmed the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling at The Hague in favor of the Philippines and against China as binding.
The statement highlighted continued US-EU cooperation on Indo-Pacific security, including joint maritime operations and a roundtable to be held at the US Indo-Pacific Command.
Both sides also reaffirmed the importance of having balanced and fair economic relations with China, and vowed to continue addressing challenges brought by China’s non-market policies and practices.
The US and EU intend to continue derisking by reducing dependencies and vulnerabilities in strategic sectors, the statement said.
Foreign information manipulation is also a continued threat that requires further work with Indo-Pacific partners to build free and resilient information ecosystems, it added.
The next dialogue is to be hosted in Washington next year.
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