European Union lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in favor of trade talks with Taiwan and other measures that violate China’s claims to sovereignty over the island, angering officials in Beijing over tensions between Western democracies and the communist regime.
“It is inherently despicable and has a terrible effect,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Thursday. “A word from the relevant side: Do not underestimate the determination, will and ability of the Chinese people to defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
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China’s relationship with the European Parliament has deteriorated in recent months as European condemnation of China’s atrocities against Uighur Muslims led to a transatlantic move to impose sanctions on EU and British lawmakers. Chinese hawks in the European Parliament responded by freezing a major investment deal between the EU and China, and the rebuke doubled on Thursday as trade talks endorsed trade talks and suggested reviving the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan as the “EU”. In Taiwan”—an intense name change, given China’s hostility to any sign of political engagement between Taiwan and other governments.
“If the EU took such a step, it would be a very big problem, but I doubt it would be possible,” an official from the Baltic states told the Washington Examiner after the vote. “It reflects the thinking of many European politicians, so this is a very dangerous signal,” the official added.
China has turned trade relations into a geopolitical advantage in several ways, not least by hampering transatlantic unity on issues that US leaders and a Western intelligence official see as security threats from Beijing. Chinese officials have experienced a number of setbacks in recent years, even before censorship of early warnings of the epidemic sparked global outrage, fueling European desire for good relations with Taiwan.
This interest was reflected in the proposal to include the term “economic and commercial” in the name of the current office.
“Countries usually have economic offices, which indicates that they do not intend to establish any kind of political relations with Taiwan,” the Baltic official said, noting that even cities may have international trade offices. For China, if the EU has an office – not a trade office, but an affiliate office – then the EU takes these relations to the political level. This is a red line for China.”
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Wang, an official with the Chinese Foreign Ministry, noted that respecting Beijing’s claims to sovereignty over the island, a democratic society not ruled by the Chinese Communist regime, “is the political foundation of China-EU relations.”
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Key words: News, foreign policy, national security, the European Union, China and Taiwan
Original author: Joel Jerk
original site: Despicable: China threatens EU over Taiwan vote
