April 14, 2023
European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell published an article on April 13 emphasizing that China’s maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait is one of the keys to restoring the EU’s trust in China. The article also reiterated that any attempt to change the status quo by force would be unacceptable to the EU. In an interview with German media during her visit to China, German Minister for Foreign Affairs Annalena Baerbock also noted that cross-strait tensions are not irrelevant to Europe, stressing that it is in Germany’s interest to ensure a free and open Taiwan Strait. Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Poland Mateusz Morawiecki, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Gabrielius Landsbergis, and a spokesperson of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak all publicly reaffirmed that their support for cross-strait peace and stability remains unchanged and that they oppose the status quo being altered through the use of force.
In recent days, China has willfully escalated military threats against Taiwan, unilaterally staged military drills, and declared a no-fly zone, disrupting order in the Taiwan Strait and the region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) greatly appreciates the high-level government officials of the United Kingdom, the European Union, and EU member states for reaffirming their common position on maintaining the status quo across the Taiwan Strait and for publicly emphasizing that supporting cross-strait peace and stability serves the interests of Europe, as well as the region and the world.
Based on its solid foundation of relations with European countries and other like-minded partners, Taiwan will further develop and deepen dialogue, exchanges, and cooperation with them so as to jointly preserve stability and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the Indo-Pacific.