China's drills near Taiwan endanger 'co-existence': European MP

Taipei, Jan. 6 (CNA) The military exercises China staged around Taiwan last week were provocative and revealed Beijing's "unacceptable attitude" that threatens "peaceful co-existence across the Taiwan Strait," European Parliament (EP) member Michael Gahler said Tuesday.

Alluding to global geopolitical challenges, Gahler warned while meeting President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei that "many certainties that we have had over decades seem to be fading away," without going into detail.

Against this backdrop, Gahler, who chairs the European Taiwan Friendship Group, underlined the importance for the EP and democracies worldwide to speak out for maintaining peace in the Taiwan Strait, a condition Gahler said China has attempted to alter.

"The Taiwan Strait is an international strait, and it's good that different countries demonstrate that by sending ships through this strait and making it clear that we do not accept a unilateral change of the status quo," said Gahler, who is leading a 10-member group on a six-day visit to Taiwan until Jan. 9.

Gahler said the international community has strongly condemned Beijing's "belligerent and aggressive posture" as witnessed in last week's large-scale military drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan.

"This is such a provocation and an unacceptable attitude that endangers the peaceful coexistence across the strait," he said.

One common challenge facing Taiwan and Europe, he noted, is the "unlawful and unfriendly" sabotage of undersea communications cables, and his delegation had exchanged opinions on this issue with Taiwanese officials on Monday.

In his remarks, Lai said that due to China's incessant military intimidation and harassment of Taiwan, and its coercion through economic and diplomatic avenues, many Taiwanese have embraced the adage of "peace through strength."

More crucially, Lai said, only by democracies working together can democratic values and the rules-based international order be upheld.