We thank the European Parliament for passing the resolutions on the implementation of the common foreign and security policy (CFSP)-2023 annual report and the implementation of the common security and defence policy (CSDP)-2023 annual report on February 28th.

The annual 2023 CFSP and CSDP reports, which passed with 338 votes and 350 votes in favor respectively, include passages highlighting the fact that neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to the other and that only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent the Taiwanese people on the international stage, and more broadly, they express staunch support for democratic Taiwan. Furthermore, both resolutions strongly condemn China’s attempts to unilaterally change the status quo and the peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, while also reiterating the European Parliament’s staunch support for Taiwan’s international participation.

In the two resolutions, the European Parliament:

Denounces statements by the Chinese President that China will never renounce the right to use force over Taiwan; notes the fact that neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to the other; expresses grave concerns over China’s use of hostile disinformation to undermine trust in Taiwan’s democracy and governance; underlines that only Taiwan’s democratically elected government can represent Taiwanese people on the international stage; notes the need to focus also on preventive diplomacy to avoid any escalation in the Taiwan Strait;
Strongly condemns China’s continued military provocations against Taiwan and reiterates its firm rejection of any unilateral change to the status quo in the Strait of Taiwan; highlights that China’s territorial claims have no basis in international law; encourages Member States to increase the frequency of freedom of navigation operations in the Taiwan Strait and deepen security dialogues with Taiwan to deter Chinese aggression;

Denounces China’s blocking of Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organisations; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support Taiwan’s meaningful participation in relevant international organisations such as the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organisation and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; reiterates that Taiwan is a key EU Partner and democratic ally in the Indo-Pacific region;

Draws particular attention to Taiwan, which plays a significant role in the global supply chains and in the international rules-based order; reiterates its longstanding support for the EU-Taiwan Bilateral Investment Agreement and any arrangements mutually beneficial to bilateral trade and investment; urges the EU and its Member States to engage in closer cooperation with Taiwan; calls on the Commission to launch, without delay, preparatory measures for negotiations on a bilateral investment agreement with Taiwan;

After Taiwan’s recent transparent and fair elections, China announced the unilateral cancellation of the six nautical mile westward deviation of the M503 route's southbound flight, and the activation of the W122 and W123 routes for eastbound operations, effective 1 February 2024. China’s attempts to change the status quo of the Taiwan Strait only serve to destabilize the Indo-Pacific. The Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium thanks the European Parliament for supporting Taiwan’s democratically elected government and its people. We look forward to further cooperation between Taiwan and the EU and deepening bilateral partnerships at all levels.