EU parliament urges member states to bolster ties with Taiwan; decries China's drills

In a major development, the European Parliament strongly denounced the recent provocative military drills by China in the Taiwan Strait and called for improved ties between the 27-nation-bloc and Taipei, according to a release from the EU's legislative body. The Members of Parliament (MEPs) have protested China's recent and 'unprecedented' live-fire military drills in the Taiwan Strait in a resolution which has been passed on Thursday. It is worth mentioning that these activities started in August 2022 after Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, paid a visit to Taiwan. 

Additionally, the members urged the Chinese government to refrain from taking any actions that would undermine regional security and the Taiwan Strait. With almost 424 votes in favour, 14 against, and 46 abstentions, MEPs accepted the resolution. 

European Parliament urges EU to improve ties with Taiwan

Furthermore, Parliament called on the EU to improve ties with the democratically run island, noting Taiwan's standing as a partner with similar views to the EU, its vital trade position, and the nation's leading place in the global supply chain of important high-tech industries, including semiconductors. 

The MEPs have even emphasised their request for the European Commission to immediately begin an impact assessment, public engagement, and scoping exercise on a bilateral investment deal with Taiwanese authorities, ANI reported.  

It proposed that the rest of the EU may follow Lithuania, which has declared its intention to establish a trade representative office in Taipei in the fall of 2022. MEPs recommend that other EU nations who do not already have a trade office in Taiwan should take Lithuania's lead and improve their bilateral ties with Taiwan. 

Besides this, MEPs also restated their stance that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait must not be changed unilaterally and that they reject the use or threat of force, while recognising that the EU continues to uphold its fundamental 'One China' policy position as the foundation for EU-China ties. 

Josep Borrell criticised China's massive military exercises

Meanwhile, in the month of August, Josep Borrell, the head of foreign policy for the European Union (EU), criticised China's massive military exercises, saying they were "unjustified" in the wake of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan. The senior diplomat for the EU stated on Twitter that it was inappropriate to use a visit as an excuse for provocative military operations in the Taiwan Strait. "It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally,” he added. 

He further said, “We encourage all parties to remain calm, exercise restraint, act with transparency”. 

Pelosi's unexpected trip to Taiwan has increased tensions in the area and strained relations between Washington and Beijing, which Beijing regards as its own "breakaway province." China immediately denounced Pelosi's visit and promised that the US will "pay the price" for "hurting" Beijing's sovereignty in back-to-back statements. The US House Speaker, however, was greeted with joy in Taiwan before she solidified the perception that Washington is a staunch ally of Taipei.

(Image: AP)