Resolution on the situation in the Strait of Taiwan

The European Parliament adopted by 424 votes to 14, with 46 abstentions, a resolution on the situation in the Strait of Taiwan.

The text adopted in plenary was tabled by the EPP, S&D, Renew, Greens/EFA and ECR groups.

The EU and Taiwan are like-minded partners that share the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law. Taiwan is located in a strategic position in terms of trade with the Taiwan Strait being the primary route for ships travelling from China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan towards Europe. It dominates the semiconductor manufacturing markets, as its producers manufacture around 50 % of the world’s semiconductor output.

As a reminder, between 4 and 10 August 2022, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) escalated its long-standing military intimidation against Taiwan to an unprecedented level following the visit of 2 and 3 August 2022 by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, and launched large-scale live-fire military exercises in seven designated areas surrounding Taiwan. The exercises included the use of up to 11 ballistic missiles, of which at least five flew over Taiwan. These military drills constituted a virtual blockade of Taiwan’s sea and air space.

In addition, the full-scale military exercises were coupled with intense cyber-attacks against the Taiwanese authorities and private sector. The PRC appears to be seeking to perpetuate its overly aggressive actions, trying to erode the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. In this regard, Members reiterated their position that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait must not be changed unilaterally and they oppose the use or threat of force. Parliament also stressed that ‘on the democratic island of Taiwan, it is up to the people to decide how they want to live’.

In response to the renewed provocations by the PRC, Taiwan has announced that it will increase its military budget by 13.9 % year-on-year, to a record TWD 586.3 billion (EUR 19.5 billion).

On 9 October 2021, the PRC’s President Xi Jinping vowed to pursue ‘reunification’ with Taiwan by supposedly peaceful means, falsely claiming that biggest obstacle to it was the so-called ‘Taiwan independence’ forces.

In its resolution, Parliament strongly condemned the PRC’s military exercises and called on the Government of the PRC to refrain from any measures which could destabilise the Taiwan Strait and regional security.

The PRC is urged to immediately stop all actions and intrusions into the Taiwanese air defence identification zone and the airspace violations above Taiwan’s outer islands, restore the full respect of the Taiwan Strait’s median line, and stop all other grey-zone military actions including cyber and disinformation campaigns.

Parliament firmly rejects the PRC’s economic coercion against Taiwan and other democracies in its region, as well as against EU Member States, and underlined that such practices are not only illegal under World Trade Organization rules, but that they also have a devastating effect on the PRC’s reputation around the world and will lead to a further loss of trust in the PRC as a partner.

Against this background, the EU and its Member States are called on to:

- increase economic and diplomatic presence throughout the Indo-Pacific region, including in Taiwan;

- enhance the existing partnership with Taiwan to promote common values and principles, including by pursuing a resilient supply chain agreement and a bilateral investment agreement (BIA). Members repeated their request for the European Commission to launch, without delay, an impact assessment, public consultation and scoping exercise on a Bilateral Investment Agreement with the Taiwanese authorities;

- open trade representative offices in Taipei following in the steps of Lithuania who recently announced plans to do so.