2024/05/24
The European External Action Service (EEAS) released a statement on May 23 addressing China’s Joint Sword-2024A military drills, stating that China’s military activities around Taiwan had increased cross-strait tensions. The statement stressed that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait were important for regional and global security and prosperity, that the European Union had a direct interest in the preservation of the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and that the EU opposed any unilateral actions that change the status quo by force or coercion. It called on all parties to exercise restraint and avoid any actions that could further escalate cross-strait tensions, which should be resolved through dialogue.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (Taiwan) sincerely thanks the EU for its continued concern over the cross-strait situation and for having so quickly released this statement to reiterate its firm position on cross-strait peace and stability. Taiwan’s commitment to democracy will not alter as the result of any coercion or suppression. Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperative relationships with like-minded partners such as the EU to jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy, defend the rules-based international order, uphold the status quo across the Taiwan Strait, and ensure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (E)