EU calls for end of PRC intimidation of Taiwan; seeks greater cooperation for Free and Open Indo-Pacific

FORUM Staff

The European Union denounced the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) military provocations against Taiwan, saying the illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive tactics threaten security in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

The European Parliament, the legislative body representing the union’s 27 nations, approved a resolution in late October 2024 condemning the PRC’s bullying and its continued attempts to distort history and international law. The measure, which was approved overwhelmingly, reaffirmed Europe’s rejection of unilateral attempts to alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, a vital global trade route. It emphasized that a 1971 United Nations resolution recognized the PRC as the country’s legitimate representative to the U.N. but took no position on Taiwan’s sovereignty.

The PRC falsely contends the U.N. resolution endorses its claim to Taiwan, a self-governed island that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) threatens to annex by force. In mid-October 2024, Beijing’s People’s Liberation Army staged major military drills around Taiwan that simulated attacks on ports and a blockade at sea. PRC coast guard deployments that infringe on Taiwan-controlled waters are among “the most concrete indications of the PRC’s intention to erode the status quo,” the EU resolution stated.

The PRC also has cited the U.N. resolution in its attempts to marginalize Taiwan by blocking its engagements with international agencies such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Civil Aviation Organization and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change. In 2022, for instance, the PRC prevented Taiwan from attending the WHO’s annual assembly as an observer. The PRC has used funding schemes, strategic hires of U.N. staff and other techniques to keep Taiwan out of the international body, according to the German Marshall Fund, a United States-based think tank.

“These actions highlight the PRC’s ambition to alter the existing multilateral international order and undermine international law and can be seen as an expression of systemic rivalry,” the EU resolution stated.

The EU resolution represents “a sign of unity and broad understanding that we do not want political circumstances to be unilaterally misinterpreted in a certain way,” European Parliament member Michael Gahler of Germany said during a visit to Taiwan after the vote.

The 1971 U.N. resolution does not include language suggesting statehood is a requirement for international relations, and Taiwan should take advantage of opportunities to engage in international forums as an observer or participant, Gahler said, according to the Central News Agency’s Focus Taiwan.

“There is no reason for China to interpret something against Taiwan that is not in this [U.N.] resolution; that is their attempt,” he said.

The EU resolution calls on the PRC to halt economic coercion, and cyber and information manipulation campaigns against Taiwan. It praises “the courage” of Taiwan’s people and “the proportionate and dignified reactions of [Taiwan’s] authorities and institutions in the face of intensifying Chinese threats and activities.”

It also expresses gratitude for Taiwan’s role during the COVID-19 pandemic; recognizes the importance of Taiwan in securing global supply chains, especially in the high-tech sector; applauds increased freedom of navigation exercises by EU countries, including France, Germany and the Netherlands; and calls for cooperation and coordination with regional partners to ensure a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.