EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell on Tuesday underscored the importance of maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait.
Speaking at a plenary session of the European Parliament, Borrell described the Taiwan Strait as “the most strategic strait in the world, in particular for our trade.”
The session was attended by more than 70 members of the European Parliament.
Photo: AFP
“It is not only for a moral reason that an action against Taiwan must necessarily be rejected. It is also because it would be, in economic terms, extremely serious for us, because Taiwan has a strategic role in the production of the most advanced semiconductors,” he said.
Borrell said that if the EU wants to be a geopolitical power, it must be present in all parts of the world to assert its positions and defend its interests, as well as call for calm and prevent provocations.
“Taiwan is clearly part of our geostrategic perimeter to guarantee peace,” he said.
Borrell was speaking on the issue of clarity and unity regarding the EU’s China policy with regard to Taiwan.
He said Europe’s strategy toward China has to be based on four elements: values, economic security, Taiwan and Ukraine.
China’s role following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine would be key to whether EU-China relations can develop normally, Borrell said.
“Our relationship with China cannot develop if China does not use its influence on Russia to get Russia to withdraw its troops from Ukraine and end the war,” he said.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that as China emerges as a global political and economic player, it is all the more important for Europe to manage its relations with Beijing based on its own interests.
“A strong European China policy relies on strong coordination between member states and EU institutions, and on the willingness to avoid divide-and-conquer tactics,” said Von der Leyen, who recently accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron on a trip to Beijing.
China’s shows of military force in the South and East China seas, as well as its border with India, “directly affect our partners and their legitimate interests. Or on the issue with Taiwan,” she added.
“The EU’s ‘one China’ policy is long-standing. We have consistently called for peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, and we stand strongly against any unilateral change of the status quo, in particular by the use of force,” she said.
Tropical Storm Usagi strengthened to a typhoon yesterday morning and remains on track to brush past southeastern Taiwan from tomorrow to Sunday, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was approximately 950km east-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost point, the CWA said. It is expected to enter the Bashi Channel and then turn north, moving into waters southeast of Taiwan, it said. The agency said it could issue a sea warning in the early hours of today and a land warning in the afternoon. As of 2pm yesterday, the storm was moving at
DISCONTENT: The CCP finds positive content about the lives of the Chinese living in Taiwan threatening, as such video could upset people in China, an expert said Chinese spouses of Taiwanese who make videos about their lives in Taiwan have been facing online threats from people in China, a source said yesterday. Some young Chinese spouses of Taiwanese make videos about their lives in Taiwan, often speaking favorably about their living conditions in the nation compared with those in China, the source said. However, the videos have caught the attention of Chinese officials, causing the spouses to come under attack by Beijing’s cyberarmy, they said. “People have been messing with the YouTube channels of these Chinese spouses and have been harassing their family members back in China,”
UPDATED FORECAST: The warning covered areas of Pingtung County and Hengchun Peninsula, while a sea warning covering the southern Taiwan Strait was amended The Central Weather Administration (CWA) at 5:30pm yesterday issued a land warning for Typhoon Usagi as the storm approached Taiwan from the south after passing over the Philippines. As of 5pm, Usagi was 420km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan proper’s southernmost tip, with an average radius of 150km, the CWA said. The land warning covered areas of Pingtung County and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春), and came with an amended sea warning, updating a warning issued yesterday morning to cover the southern part of the Taiwan Strait. No local governments had announced any class or office closures as of press time last night. The typhoon
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said there are four weather systems in the western Pacific, with one likely to strengthen into a tropical storm and pose a threat to Taiwan. The nascent tropical storm would be named Usagi and would be the fourth storm in the western Pacific at the moment, along with Typhoon Yinxing and tropical storms Toraji and Manyi, the CWA said. It would be the first time that four tropical cyclones exist simultaneously in November, it added. Records from the meteorology agency showed that three tropical cyclones existed concurrently in January in 1968, 1991 and 1992.
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