Japanese Daily Reports
The European Union (EU) has included in its draft strategy for dealing with China the need to cooperate with relevant countries in the event of an emergency involving Taiwan amid escalating tensions between the West and China over Taiwan’s independence.
On May 14, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper reported that it had obtained a copy of the EU’s strategy about China and that the document states that a danger in the Taiwan Strait clearly shows the need to work with partner countries to stop the current erosion.
This marked the first time the EU expressly wrote in a public strategy document how it will work with relevant countries in the event of a military crisis in Taiwan, Yomiuri said. Previous EU documents largely ignored such Taiwan issues, instead stating that they support the “One China policy,” the Japanese daily explained.
In the draft, the EU maintained its previous position that it will support the “One China policy” that China is sticking to in reference to the Taiwanese independence issue. However, in the case of a scenario where China takes military action against Taiwan, the draft also spelled out its effects on Europe, saying, “Unilateral changes to the status quo and the use of force would have a serious impact on the world’s economy, politics, and security.”
With regard to economic relations with China, the draft calls for selective decoupling from China. The EU said in the draft that it would seek to regulate China in areas such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and space technology as it has a golden opportunity to reduce economic and security risks and excessive dependence on China.