European navies should patrol the disputed Taiwan
Strait, the EU foreign policy chief has said, echoing earlier comments
stressing how crucial Taiwan is to Europe.
Josep Borrell wrote in an opinion piece in the Journal Du Dimanche that Taiwan “concerns us economically, commercially and technologically”.
“That’s
why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to show
Europe’s commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial
area,” he wrote.
Two weeks ago, China
launched three days of military exercises around Taiwan – simulating
targeted strikes and a blockade of the island – in response to a meeting
between the Taiwanese president, Tsai Ing-wen, and the US House
speaker, Kevin McCarthy.
On Tuesday, in a speech opening a debate on China
at the European parliament, Borrell said: “Taiwan is clearly part of our
geostrategic perimeter to guarantee peace.
“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.”
Borrell’s comments come after the French president, Emmanuel Macron, this month argued that Europe should not be a “follower” of the US in the event of conflict with China over Taiwan.
Macron’s comments, after a visit to China, sparked criticism from some politicians in both the US and inside the EU.
China claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to one day bring the
island under its control. But Taiwan has never been controlled by the
Communist party government of mainland China.
Meanwhile, Beijing says it has lodged a complaint with South Korea’s
ambassador over “erroneous” remarks by South Korea’s president about
Taiwan.
The president, Yoon Suk-yeol, had told Reuters that increased tensions
around Taiwan were due to attempts to change the status quo by force,
and that he opposed such a change. “The Taiwan issue is not simply an
issue between China and Taiwan but, like the issue of North Korea, it is
a global issue.”
China’s vice-foreign minister, Sun Weidong, said
Yoon’s remarks were “totally unacceptable”, according to a Chinese
foreign ministry statement.
“The South Korean
leader made no mention of the One China principle, but equated the
Taiwan issue with the Korean Peninsula issue,” Sun said. “It is a
well-known fact that the Korean Peninsula issue and the Taiwan issue are
completely different in nature and in latitude and longitude, and are
not comparable at all.”
In Guatemala,
President Alejandro Giammattei left on Saturday for a visit to Taiwan
as the island looks to shore up its diplomatic links with Latin American
countries.
“We are going to Taiwan to send the
world too the clear message that countries have a right to
self-governance,” Giammattei said in a video posted online.
During
his visit from Monday to Thursday, Giammattei is scheduled to address
the congress of Taiwan and visit a technology company in Taichung, south
of Taipei. He is due to attend an event promoting Guatemalan coffee,
according to the Taiwanese president’s office.
Giammattei
announced the trip two weeks after he welcomed Tsai in Guatemala City,
where she promised continued assistance for “democratic partners”. The
Taiwanese president then travelled to neighbouring Belize, the only
other Central American country to retain diplomatic ties with Taiwan
since Honduras shifted its allegiance to China in March.
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