The German Bundestag has passed a resolution calling on the government to reassess its Taiwan policy and deepen exchanges with Taipei, but ruled out the possibility of establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
The Petitions Committee of Germany’s new parliament, which met for the first time in October following a federal election in September, passed the resolution on Thursday.
The committee also referred an earlier motion on establishing formal diplomatic relations with the Republic of China to the German Federal Foreign Office and each parliamentary caucus.
Photo: Reuters
The resolution says that since the Federal Republic of Germany and the People’s Republic of China established diplomatic relations in 1972, Berlin has adhered to the “one China” policy, which excludes the possibility of forging diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
However, Germany is supportive of conducting close political, economic and social engagements with Taiwan, and expanding cooperation with Taipei is in the interests of Germany and Europe, it states.
In light of the rapidly changing international situation, the German government should re-evaluate its policy toward Taiwan, including potentially recognizing it as a sovereign state, and considering deepening exchanges and cooperation, the resolution says.
The motion asking Germany to establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan was initiated by German national Michael Kreuzberg in May 2019, and received more than 50,000 signatures in October of that year, requiring that it be sent to the Bundestag for discussion.
The Petitions Committee held a public hearing on the motion in December 2019.
At the hearing, Petra Sigmund, director-general for Asia and the Pacific at the German Federal Foreign Office, said Taiwan and Germany share values, such as democracy and freedom, and conduct frequent exchanges in the economic, cultural and academic spheres.
Germany plans to expand ties with Taiwan, she said.
However, Germany excludes the possibility of establishing diplomatic ties with Taiwan under its “one China” policy, Sigmund said.
The petition was subsequently shelved.
Taiwan’s representative office in Germany welcomed the passage of the resolution on Thursday and thanked German lawmakers for supporting improved relations with Taiwan, saying that it looks forward to seeing the German government’s response to the motion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) yesterday said that the Chinese Communist Party was planning and implementing “major” reforms, ahead of a political conclave that is expected to put economic recovery high on the agenda. Chinese policymakers have struggled to reignite growth since late 2022, when restrictions put in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic were lifted. The world’s second-largest economy is beset by a debt crisis in the property sector, persistently low consumption and high unemployment among young people. Policymakers “are planning and implementing major measures to further deepen reform in a comprehensive manner,” Xi said in a speech at the Great Hall
CIVIL DEFENSE: More reservists in alternative service would help establish a sound civil defense system for use in wartime and during natural disasters, Kuma Academy’s CEO said While a total of 120,000 reservists are expected to be called up for alternative reserve drills this year, compared with the 6,505 drilled last year, the number has been revised to 58,000 due to a postponed training date, Deputy Minster of the Interior Ma Shih-yuan (馬士元) said. In principle, the ministry still aims to call up 120,000 reservists for alternative reserve drills next year, he said, but the actual number would not be decided later until after this year’s evaluation. The increase follows a Legislative Yuan request that the Ministry of the Interior address low recruitment rates, which it made while reviewing
WARNING: China has stepped up harassment of foreign vessels after its new regulation took effect last month, an official said, citing an incident in the Diaoyutai Islands The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) yesterday linked China’s seizure of a Taiwanese fishing vessel illegally operating in its territorial waters to Beijing’s new regulation authorizing the China Coast Guard to seize boats in waters it claims. Chinese officials boarded and then seized a Taiwanese fishing vessel operating near China’s coast close to Kinmen County late on Tuesday and took it to a Chinese port, the CGA said. The Penghu-registered squid fishing vessel Da Jin Man No. 88 (大進滿88) was boarded and seized by China Coast Guard east-northeast of Liaoluo Bay (料羅灣), 17.5 nautical miles (32.4km) from Taiwan’s restricted waters off Kinmen,
DETERRENCE: Along with US$500 million in military aid and up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees, the bill would allocate US$400 million to countering PRC influence The US House of Representatives on Friday approved an appropriations bill for fiscal year 2025 that includes US$500 million in military aid for Taiwan. The legislation, which authorizes funding for the US Department of State, US foreign operations and related programs for next year, passed 212-200 in the Republican-led House. The bill stipulates that the US would provide no less than US$500 million in foreign military financing for Taiwan to enhance deterrence across the Taiwan Strait, and offer Taipei up to US$2 billion in loans and loan guarantees for the same purpose. The funding would be made available under the US’ Foreign Military