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Finbarr Bermingham

The European Parliament voted in a landslide on Thursday to adopt a report on Taiwan, despite a Chinese envoy’s efforts to influence the outcome.
The vote on whether to adopt the parliament’s first report on Taiwan ended 580-26 in favour.
The non-binding report urges the European Commission to “urgently begin” preparation for a bilateral investment deal with Taiwan.
It also recommends the name of the “European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan” be changed to the “European Union Office in Taiwan” to reflect “the broad scope of EU-Taiwanese ties” and for Taiwan to be granted observer status at international institutions including Interpol and the World Health Organization.
EU reiterates support for Lithuania in row with China over Taiwan
But in a letter dated August 31 and seen by the South China Morning Post, Chinese ambassador to the European Union Zhang Ming called on European Parliament President David Maria Sassoli to “leverage” his role to influence opinion.
“At this important moment, I hope that you can leverage your role to enable the European Parliament to fully appreciate the seriousness and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and play a positive and constructive role in upholding the political foundation of China-EU relations,” the ambassador wrote.
“The issue of Taiwan concerns China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and involves China’s core interests as well as the sentiment of 1.4 billion Chinese people,” Zhang wrote, adding that there is “simply no room for compromise”.
He said the report was a “rather negative document” and warned that its recommendations would “constitute serious violations of the one-China principle as they exceed far beyond the scope of normal non-official economic and trade cooperation and cultural exchanges between the EU, its member states and Taiwan”.
While the EU maintains its one-China policy, it has in recent months made moves to expand trade and economic ties with Taiwan, without recognising full statehood.
China-EU relations: Beijing calls on European business group to help ‘clear up doubts’ tarnishing economic relations
Katalin Cseh, a Hungarian MEP who acted as shadow rapporteur on the report, said the letter was “another reminder that China’s blatant disregard for democracy and democratic processes is very much our concern”.
“Pressuring the elected president of the European Parliament is wholly unacceptable and clearly constitutes malign interference that we must not tolerate,” she said.
The report’s rapporteur Charlie Weimers said the commission “must now intensify EU-Taiwan relations and pursue a comprehensive enhanced partnership with Taiwan”.
“Work on an impact assessment, a public consultation and a scoping exercise on a bilateral investment agreement with the Taiwanese authorities in preparation for negotiations to deepen our economic ties must begin before the end of this year,” he said.
In response to the vote, the Chinese Mission to the EU urged “the EU side not to misjudge China’s firm resolve and strong will to defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity”.
“[We urge the EU to] faithfully honour its commitment to the one-China principle, correct its mistakes, remove disturbances, and create conditions for the sound and steady development of China-EU relations,” it said.
If the US and EU were divided on China, Aukus ‘betrayal’ just dug the trenches deeper
The vote passed at a tense time in cross-strait relations, and as Taiwan has become a prominent fixture in the European news agenda.
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu will visit the Czech Republic and Slovakia next week, while a 66-person strong delegation of Taiwanese businesses and officials is already touring the two countries and Lithuania.
Lithuania, for its part, has pushed the envelope on Taiwan issues by agreeing to open a “Taiwanese Representative Office” in Vilnius by the end of the year, leading to a diplomatic and trade dispute with Beijing, which accused it of breaching the EU’s one-China policy – a suggestion that both Brussels and Vilnius denied.
Addressing parliament on Tuesday on behalf of the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell, European Commission executive vice-president Margrethe Vestager expressed “solidarity” and “support” for Vilnius.
“Lithuania and all member states [who] find themselves coerced for taking decisions that China finds offensive need support and our solidarity. The EU will continue to push back at these attempts and adopt appropriate tools, such as the anti-coercion instrument, currently under preparation,” Vestager said.


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China-EU relations

‘Leverage your role’: China tried to sway EU-Taiwan vote

Before the vote, Chinese ambassador to the European Union Zhang Ming called on EP President David Maria Sassoli to “leverage” his role. Photo: Handout

US ambassador to China nominee takes tough line on Beijing, cites ‘genocide in Xinjiang’ and need to support Taiwan

US ambassador to China nominee Nicholas Burns attends a hearing to examine his nomination before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Senator Robert Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, speaks during a confirmation hearing for Nicholas Burns, U.S. ambassador to China nominee for U.S. President Joe Biden, in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Wednesday, Oct. 20, 2021. The Biden administration seeks to enlist allies to vie with China on issues ranging from the production of semiconductors to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea to human rights abuses in Xinjiang. Photographer: Sarah Silbiger/Bloomberg

China-EU relations: Beijing calls on European business group to help ‘clear up doubts’ tarnishing economic relations

China-EU relations are at their lowest point in decades, following tit-for-tat sanctions over alleged human rights abuses in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. Photo: Bloomberg

Commerce minister Wang Wentao says he hopes European firms in China can play a bridging role between the two countries. Photo: Reuters

Xi Jinping plans call with EU’s Charles Michel, as Brussels looks to steady ship on China

The planned call between Chinese President Xi Jinping and European Council President Charles Michel would mark the first time the two have spoken directly since the end of last year. Photo: AFP

08 October 2021, Spain, Madrid: High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell speaks at a New Economy Forum Breakfast Briefing at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz Hotel. Photo: Eduardo Parra/EUROPA PRESS/dpa

FILE - In this Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2021 file photo, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, speaks with European Council President Charles Michel at the European Council building in Brussels. The European Union is considering providing a military training mission to Ukraine amid lingering tensions between Russia and the Soviet ex-republic, officials said Monday, Oct. 11, 2021. Acting on a request from Ukraine for help in the "professional military education," the EU has already sent a fact-finding mission to the country last month. The topic will be discussed during a summit scheduled on Tuesday in Kyiv, the officials said on condition of anonymity in accordance with EU practices. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco, File)

News

China

Diplomacy


Chinese ambassador lobbied European Parliament president before lawmakers decided on non-binding report on Thursday
Report calls on European Commission to urgently begin preparation for a bilateral investment deal with the island



Chinese ambassador lobbied European Parliament president before lawmakers decided on non-binding report on Thursday.


European Union

Taiwan