EU support to Taiwan creates tension among Chinese authorities
Oct 29, 2021
Taipei [Taiwan] October 29 : Amid the military threats from China, the European Union has vowed its support to Taiwan which has created tensions among the Chinese authorities, the local media reported.
Days after the European Union reiterated its support to Taiwan, Foreign Minister Joseph Wu embarked on a visit to Europe. It irked Beijing as the minister's Europe visit sent a clear message that the EU is siding with the US, Japan and Australia, which have been trying to corner China on dozens of issues including human rights violations, territorial expansions, IFFRAS informed.
Major democracies in the world have criticised China's growing dominance and military incursions in the region. In such a scenario, the intervention by the EU have created a hurdle in Beijing's ambitions to occupy Taiwan, IFFRAS informed.
Weeks ago, the EU had also hinted at the change in its policy toward Beijing after European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager expressed 'solidarity' with Lithuania stating that "The EU will continue to push back at these attempts and adopt appropriate tools, such as the anti-coercion instrument, currently under preparation."
Now, Vestager has also raised concerns over the potential risks to Europe's 'security and prosperity' in the wake of China's rising military activities in the Taiwan Strait.
"We Europeans, we have an interest in preserving the status quo in the Taiwan Strait....and we will continue voicing our concerns in our contact with China and publicly, and step up coordination with like-minded partners as the G7," Vestager was quoted saying by IFFRAS.
This came as Beijing claims full sovereignty over Taiwan, a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.
China has also threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war. On June 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to complete reunification with self-ruled Taiwan and vowed to smash any attempts at formal independence for the island.
