The EU must regard Taiwan as part of China and advocate a peaceful re-unification, former Swedish Prime Minister and political heavyweight Carl Bildt has argued.
The political tensions surrounding the tortuous relationship between China and Taiwan have escalated again after China conducted an extensive military drill in the Taiwan Strait during the Easter weekend.
The US has repeatedly indicated its support for an independent Taiwan, whereas the EU lacks a common stance on the matter.
The US has repeatedly indicated its support for an independent Taiwan, whereas the EU lacks a common stance on the matter.
According to Bildt, who served as prime minister of Sweden from 1991 to 1994 and as foreign minister from 2006 and 2014, and headed the liberal-conservative Moderate Party from 1986 to 1999, the EU should stick to the idea of Taiwan's re-unification with the mainland, commonly referred to as the "one China" policy.
"The EU view on the Taiwan issue has to be that we do adhere to the idea of One China, and accordingly do not support Taiwan independence, but that any resolution of the issue has to be peaceful and that we would resolutely oppose any Chinese use of force," Bildt tweeted.
screendump of tweet by Carl Bildt
© Photo
This runs counter to the position of French President Emmanuel Macron, who has just returned from a visit to Beijing and said that the EU should refrain from taking a stance on this issue as such. In a subsequent interview, Macron warned Europe against "getting caught up in crises that are not ours" and that "prevent it from building its strategic autonomy".
Beijing claims Taiwan as an inalienable part of the People's Republic, but the US has promised to arm and defend the self-ruled island – a pledge repeatedly voiced by President Biden himself. In recent months, the US has been increasing military aid to Taiwan, justifying the move with the "threat" of China's "invasion" amid soaring political divisions on the island ahead of the presidential election slated for 2024.
China has repeatedly warned Washington policymakers against militarizing Taiwan and fueling separatist sentiment on the island. After the recent drill, Beijing stressed its military forces were "ready for battle at any time" and were ready to "destroy any kind of separatist or foreign interference attempts for Taiwan's independence".
The situation around Taiwan escalated in August 2022 after then-US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the island. Beijing harshly condemned Pelosi's trip, which it saw as a gesture of support for separatism, and launched large-scale military drills near the island. Despite China's fierce criticism, Pelosi's visit unleashed a wave of trips by Western politicians to the island, voicing token support. China discourages contact with Taiwanese officials circumventing Beijing.