Taiwan will work to maintain the rules-based international order and enhance cooperation with the EU when facing China’s military expansionism, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said on Thursday, following the release of a European defense report.
The White Paper for European Defence — Readiness 2030, published on Wednesday, said that the shifting “status quo” in the Taiwan Strait and Beijing’s increasing military activities could raise the “risk of a major disruption,” with economic and strategic consequences for Europe and its Indo-Pacific region partners.
Presented by top European Commission officials, the white paper also outlined the “ReArm Europe Plan/Readiness 2030” defense package, which aims to spend more than 800 billion euros (US$866.6 billion) to safeguard European security in the face of a changing global situation.
Photo: Taipei Times
Taiwan is grateful for the support, and welcomes the EU monitoring developments in the Indo-Pacific region and in the Taiwan Strait, Lin said.
The minister also thanked officials for expressing concern about Beijing’s actions “intensifying its political, economic, military, cyber and cognitive measures to coerce Taiwan.”
Taiwan would deepen cooperation with like-minded countries in Europe and work together to defend freedom and democracy, Lin said.
“We will show the world that we are determined to safeguard our democratic Taiwan,” he added.
China’s escalating actions in the region were contributing to the “deteriorating strategic context” and potential flashpoints in the Taiwan Strait, which would have a large impact on Europe, due to the disruption to the supply of strategic resources and materials for European industrial production it would cause, the white paper said.
As threats of hybrid warfare and cyberattacks are challenges that transcend international borders, the EU will reinforce cooperation and security arrangement with like-minded countries, the paper said.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials said that the European Council meeting in June 2023 was the first time the joint statement included wording on the importance of reducing tensions in the Taiwan Strait, and that the EU is opposed to any military action or unilateral moves to change the “status quo.”
“Ensuring peace and security in the Taiwan Strait has become the common stance of the 27 EU member states,” the ministry said.
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
A magnitude 4.1 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 2:23pm today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was 5.4 kilometers northeast of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 34.9 km, according to the CWA. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was the highest in Hualien County, where it measured 2 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 1 in Yilan county, Taichung, Nantou County, Changhua County and Yunlin County, the CWA said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS