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Japan, EU call for peace in Taiwan Strait amid rising tensions
- Japan’s Yoshihide Suga held a virtual summit on Thursday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council chief Charles Michel
- The leaders also backed the holding of a safe and secure Olympic Games despite calls for the event to be cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic
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The leaders of Japan and the European Union institutions referred to the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait in a joint statement following a virtual summit, a move indicating their concern over China’s assertive push in regional affairs.
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Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held a video conference on Thursday with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council chief Charles Michel and later issued a statement that also said the leaders remained “seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas,” where Beijing has been projecting its naval might.
“We underscore the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and encourage the peaceful resolution of cross-Strait issues,” according to the statement.
The reference to Taiwan was the first in a statement from the leaders, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Thursday, citing several unidentified Japanese government sources.
It follows similar wording in a joint statement issued after Suga met US President Joe Biden last month, which sparked criticism from Beijing.
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Beijing sees Taiwan as part of its territory, and tensions between the two have worsened in recent months as Chinese military forces ratcheted up exercises in the area, raising the risk of a conflict that could draw in the US.
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