EU Delegation Seeks to Strengthen Ties with Taiwan
Raphaël Glucksmann is a French member of the European Parliament and the leader of the EU’s mission to Taiwan. (Wikimedia Commons)
A delegation of seven Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) visited Taiwan to meet with President Tsai Ing-wen and Premier Su Tseng-chang, constituting the first official visit of an EU-sanctioned mission to the island, from November 3 to 5. The delegation, formally referred to as the Special Committee on Foreign Interference and Disinformation (INGE), sought to deepen the relationship between Taiwan and the EU in the face of China’s growing power.
A press release issued by the EU discussed the importance of Taiwan’s “rules-based order” on October 21, amplified in significance due to the “intensifying rivalry between the major geopolitical powers in the region.” The EU release separated the mission into two objectives: first, to “lay the groundwork for a new Bilateral Investment Agreement” (BIA); and second, to address “deep concerns” over increasing Chinese exertion of force against Taiwan. The EU’s vote on the proposed mission to create a more profound relationship with Taiwan passed 580 to 26, with 66 abstentions.
The EU’s proposed BIA focuses on multilateralism, technology, public health, and cooperation on the procurement of critical supplies. The statement emphasizes 5G development and production of semiconductors, which are increasingly valuable due to high demand and global shortage. The EU reached a similar economic agreement with China last year; however, this previous agreement was stalled in May due to Chinese sanctions on EU leaders, imposed in response to sanctions which Western powers placed on China.
The EU also seeks to address Taipei’s reports of continued “military belligerence, pressure, assault exercises, airspace violations, and disinformation campaigns” on the part of China. Taipei has stated that Beijing will be “capable of mounting a full scale invasion of the island by 2025,” leading to significant concern over the contested status of the island.
Despite these serious concerns regarding China’s military provocation, the EU mission focused primarily on Chinese disinformation campaigns in Taiwan. The statement issued after the visit discussed the necessity for Western democracies to “draw lessons from Taiwanese best practice” when facing attempts to thwart democracy enacted by China. According to the statement, the strategy agreed upon looks towards governmental regulation, NGOs, and social media companies to “[promote] media literacy for all generations, [debunk] disinformation, and [curb] the spread of manipulative messages.”
The delegation’s visit to Taiwan was met with allegations of provocation from Beijing. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for one, issued a statement in which it, “urges the European side to correct its mistakes and not to send any wrong signals to the separatist forces of Taiwan independence, so as to avoid serious impact on China-EU relations.” French MEP Raphaël Glucksmann, chair of the visiting Committee, challenged Beijing’s interpretation of events, asserting that “It’s not a provocation to come to Taiwan… we came here with a very simple, very clear message. You are not alone. Europe is standing with you, by you, in the defense of freedom and the defense of rule of law and human dignity. It is high time for the European Union to step up its cooperation with Taiwan.”
Only 15 countries formally recognize and maintain diplomatic relations with Taiwan; among them only six have a 2021 population exceeding one million persons. Taiwan and the Holy See, in particular, have a long-standing diplomatic relationship forged on the basis of shared values in religious freedom and humanitarian relief. Taiwan interacts with the EU on a regular basis through economic and trade ties; the EU is Taiwan’s fifth-largest trading partner and its largest source of foreign direct investment (FDI). The EU has and continues to abide by the One China Policy, which dictates that only one country bearing the name ‘China’ is recognized in international organizations, with Beijing operating on the behalf of Hong Kong and Macau, even if these territories operate under distinct economic and governmental systems. Although the PRC considers the policy inclusive of Taiwan, along with Hong Kong and Macau, European representatives regularly and increasingly recognize the independence of Taiwanese democracy and civil society.
The European mission to Taiwan emphasizes the increasing tensions between Western-style democratic states and China, solidifying a strategy against Xi’s government through economic ties and strategic cooperation.