Brussels – Amid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait, the European Parliament promptly condemned China’s “continued military provocations” against the island. Today (Oct. 24), the Strasbourg Chamber overwhelmingly passed a resolution firmly rejecting “any unilateral change in the status quo of the Taiwan Strait.”
In the text, adopted with 432 votes in favor, 60 against, and 71 abstentions, explicit reference was made to China’s “unjustified” military exercises on Oct. 14, when Beijing declared, among other things, that it “will never commit to renounce the use of force” toward reunification with Taiwan. These attempts by “force or coercion, will not be accepted and will incur a decisive and firm reaction,” is the European Parliament’s response. While reiterating its commitment to the ‘one China’ policy as the foundation of EU-China relations, the resolution stresses that “only the democratically elected government of Taiwan can represent the Taiwanese people internationally.”
According to the European Parliament, China “distorts history and international law” by reinterpreting resolution 2758 of the UN General Assembly, which in 1971 recognized the People’s Republic of China as China’s sole legitimate representative to the United Nations. That resolution, MEPs argue, “does not take a position on Taiwan.” Instead, Beijing uses it in its “constant efforts to block Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organizations.” The same accusation was made by Lai Ching-te, president of the small island nation, on May 20, saying that Beijing’s interpretation of Resolution 2758 serves not only as a “legal basis for military aggression against Taiwan” but also to try to isolate it diplomatically.
The European Parliament called on the EU and member states to “support Taiwan’s meaningful participation” in international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
To cope with China’s “increasingly aggressive behavior,” according to the Strasbourg Chamber, “the EU and its member states should strengthen their maritime capabilities in the region.” A call that the 5-Star Movement, which together with its European political group, the Left, does not share, opposing the resolution.
