The EU is committed to closer engagement with Taiwan and has asked for constructive dialogue between Taipei and Beijing, an EU official said on Wednesday.
Christos Stylianides, the EU commissioner in charge of humanitarian aid and crisis management, said at a plenary session of the European Parliament that the EU is interested in developing closer relations with Taiwan.
“In many ways, the EU and Taiwan are like-minded,” Stylianides said, adding that the EU’s engagement with the nation has recently become more intense, because it respects Taiwan’s system of governance, which is based on democracy, rule of law and human rights.
Photo: Reuters
Stylianides said that even without official diplomatic recognition, the EU has always encouraged Taiwan to be an active player in international affairs.
Meanwhile, the EU supports all initiatives aimed at boosting dialogue across the Taiwan Strait as part of promoting peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, Stylianides said.
“We regret that cross-strait relations have remained frozen for the past two years,” Stylianides said, adding that the tension between Taiwan and China has increased since the beginning of the year.
The EU, despite being distant, has asked Taiwan and China to avoid action that could increase tension and reinstate constructive dialogue, the EU commissioner said.
Cross-strait relations have been strained since the inauguration of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) in 2016, because her government refuses to accept the so-called “1992 consensus” under which Beijing defines Taiwan as part of “one China.”
In a speech on Jan. 2 to mark the 40th anniversary of China’s “Message to Compatriots in Taiwan,” Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) said Beijing was willing to talk with any party in Taiwan to push forward the process of peaceful unification on the basis of the “one China” principle.
In response to the message, Tsai restated her position and said her government refused to acknowledge the “1992 consensus,” because it is tantamount to the “one country, two systems” formula devised by China to bring Taiwan under its control.
The “1992 consensus” — a term former Mainland Affairs Council chairman Su Chi (蘇起) admitted making up in 2000 — refers to a tacit understanding between the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Beijing that both sides acknowledge there is “one China,” with each side having its own interpretation of what “China” means.
However, Xi defined the “consensus” as “both sides of the [Taiwan] Strait belonging to one China and being willing to work together to seek national unification.”
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