US, EU show interest in bolstering collaboration with Taiwan based on 'one-China' policy

On Friday, December 3, the United States and the European Union (EU) expressed their interest in strengthening collaboration with Taiwan based on the "one-China" policy and maintaining the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. In Washington, US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and European External Action Service Secretary-General Stefano Sannino released a joint statement following the second high-level meeting of the US-EU dialogue on China. Both leaders emphasised the importance of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Indo-Pacific region, news agency Sputnik reported. 

The two senior officials discussed human rights breaches in China and indicated a common desire to continue working together on human rights issues in the country. They also emphasised the significance of diversifying and improving supply networks as well as dealing with economic coercion. Both leaders underlined their willingness to expand US-EU information sharing on disinformation supported by China, citing the negative impacts of disinformation on democratic countries, according to the joint statement. They reiterated the need for robust US-EU cooperation in maintaining the rules-based international order, including ensuring that all countries have a level playing field. 

Moreover, the US and EU also expressed "grave concern" over China's growing assertiveness in the South and East China Seas, as well as towards Taiwan. They claimed that Beijing's actions directly harm regional peace and security. Sherman and Sannino reiterated the need of promoting international law-abiding freedom of navigation and overflight. Earlier on Wednesday, December 1, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had warned that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would pose a severe threat to Japan's security and the Japan-United States alliance and urged China to think twice before initiating any military action. 

Next US-EU dialogue to be held in 2022

It is pertinent to mention here that Sherman and Sannino also emphasised the necessity of diplomacy with China in areas where cooperation is possible, such as North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, as well as climate change. The US and EU decided to have the next high-level conference in the middle of 2022. The first was held in Brussels in May. According to a US State Department official, who previewed the dialogue, the latest joint statement is "robust," addressing subjects far larger and more extensive than the joint document released after the first meeting in the month of May, as per KYODO News. 

Image: Twitter/@DeputySecState/AP