Taiwan given prominent role in European Parliament resolution: Diplomat

Taipei, July 10 (CNA) A resolution passed earlier this week by the European Parliament (EP) calling for closer cooperation with partners in East Asia mentioned Taiwan 44 times and pledged to reject "any coercive unilateral change of the status quo" in the Taiwan Strait, a Taiwanese diplomat said Friday.

The measure, titled "Recommendation on the changing geopolitical situation in East Asia and the need for closer cooperation with like-minded partners in the region," was passed Tuesday with 542 votes in favor, 37 against and 79 abstentions in the 720-seat legislature.

In explaining its recommendations, the resolution described Taiwan as a "reliable key democratic partner" that shares "common values" with the European Union (EU), including democracy, the rule of law, human rights, and a commitment to upholding multilateralism and a rules-based international order.

It also cited another EP resolution adopted on Oct. 24, 2024, which said it "opposes" China's "constant distortion" of United Nations Resolution 2758 to justify its claim over Taiwan and "strongly condemns" China's military exercises near to Taiwan.

The resolution called on the European Council, the European Commission, and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to "reaffirm the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait by rejecting any coercive unilateral change of the status quo."

It also urged those institutions, together with EU member states and like-minded partners, to deliver clear and coordinated messaging that coercive unilateral actions to alter the status quo would incur "significant political and economic costs."

It added that "any differences must be resolved peacefully through dialogue" in accordance with international law and with respect for the will of the Taiwanese people.

In addition, the resolution called on them to "strongly recall that freedom of navigation and overflight, as guaranteed by international law, must be respected in the Indo-Pacific, including in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait."

It further urged the institutions to actively engage in diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation in the Taiwan Strait and the East and South China Seas, and to develop contingency plans and mitigation measures based on plausible escalation scenarios, including a blockade of Taiwan by the Chinese navy.

Shieh Jhy-wey (謝志偉), Taiwan's representative to the EU, noted in a social media post Friday that the resolution underscored the importance of the EU expanding cooperation with Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, saying such cooperation is in the interests of both the EU and global security.

The document, Shieh said, also called for the establishment of a comprehensive cooperation framework between Taiwan and the EU in the fields of semiconductors, artificial intelligence, supply chain security, cybersecurity, and social and energy resilience.

It also supports Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations such as the World Health Organization, the International Civil Aviation Organization, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, he said.

Furthermore, the resolution said China would face significant political and economic consequences if it sought to unilaterally alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait through coercion.

It called on EU member states and like-minded partners to deliver clear and coordinated messaging that any cross-strait differences must be resolved peacefully through dialogue.

Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday expressed its gratitude to the EP for taking "concrete actions" in support of Taiwan by adopting the resolution.