On June 27 and 28 the heads of government of the EU held the first meeting of the European Council after the EU elections. The new five-year legislature is to open with former Portuguese president Antonio Costa as president of the European Council, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as EU high representative for foreign policy and Ursula von der Leyen is to continue as president of the European Commission. The remaining “top jobs,” namely the European commissioners, are to be appointed in the next few weeks.
A careful selection by each member state will contribute to shape the geopolitical future. Each commissioner will tackle dossiers including the enlargement of the union to the western Balkans and Ukraine, the war in Gaza, and relations between the EU and the Indo-Pacific region, with the challenge posed by China in the Taiwan Strait, in the East China Sea and through its alliance with Russia.
During a visit to Astana on July 3, Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) said that China and Russia should “continue to uphold the original intention of generational friendship” and “cultivate the unique value of Sino-Russian relations.”
Crucially, the NATO declaration issued at the summit in Washington on July 10 reads: “The deepening strategic partnership between Russia and the People’s Republic of China and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut and reshape the rules-based international order are a cause for profound concern.”
Definitely, a free and open Indo-Pacific region falls within the EU strategic interest, which is why the EU and its member states should consider three aspects:
First, Brussels should not downplay relations between Taipei and Beijing to the level of a regional dispute.
Second, Taiwan has to diversify its investments and trade relations to rely on a stronger supply chain, which means not relying on the US exclusively.
Third, the economic ties between Europe and Taiwan should increase exponentially through investment agreements and other partnerships.
The EU must stand with Taiwan by increasing trade and facilitating Taipei’s meaningful participation in international organizations to nurture a global community of peace built on the power of deterrence and democratic universal values.
A resolution adopted by the European Parliament in December called on member states to “facilitate and encourage cultural and educational exchanges in order to promote scientific and academic collaborations in the context of the broader trade and investment relationship.”
This is the path that EU member states should confirm for this new legislature. In my country, the Italy-Taiwan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group and civil society organizations like the Global Committee for the Rule of Law “Marco Pannella” are campaigning to keep up this support.
The European Council conclusions of June 30 last year read: “The European Union is concerned about growing tensions in the Taiwan Strait. The European Council opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. It reconfirms the EU’s consistent ‘one China policy.’ The EU remains firmly committed to the promotion of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
While the EU negotiations are under way and as the union readies to re-establish relations with China, would-be commissioners should already reflect on the principle of reciprocity as a central and irreplaceable means to ensure a fruitful relationship with Beijing. This is the one of the key elements to avoid economic imbalances and to gain enduring political stability for the Indo-Pacific region and Europe.
Matteo Angioli is Secretary General of the Global Committee for the Rule of Law "Marco Pannella."
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