The military exercises China staged around Taiwan last week were provocative and revealed Beijing's "unacceptable attitude," threatening "peaceful coexistence across the Taiwan Strait," Member of the European Parliament Michael Gahler said today.
While meeting President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Gahler, who chairs the European Taiwan Friendship Group, alluded to global geopolitical challenges, saying that "many certainties that we have had over decades seem to be fading away."
He did not elaborate.
Photo: CNA
It is important for the European Parliament and democracies worldwide to speak out for maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, a condition China has attempted to alter, he said.
"The Taiwan Strait is an international strait, and it's good that different countries demonstrate that by sending ships through this Strait and making it clear that we do not accept a unilateral change of the status quo," said Gahler, who is leading 10 members of the European Parliament on a six-day visit to Taiwan until Friday.
The international community has strongly condemned Beijing's "belligerent and aggressive posture" as witnessed in last week's large-scale military drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan, Gahler said.
"This is such a provocation, and an unacceptable attitude that endangers the peaceful coexistence across the Strait," he said.
One common challenge facing Taiwan and Europe is the "unlawful and unfriendly" sabotage of undersea communications cables, he said, adding that his delegation yesterday exchanged opinions on the issue with Taiwanese officials.
Lai said that due to China's incessant military intimidation and harassment of Taiwan, and its coercion using economic and diplomatic avenues, many Taiwanese have embraced the adage of "peace through strength."
More crucially, only with democracies working together can democratic values and the rules-based international order be upheld, Lai said.
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