The European Parliament on Wednesday, January 18, voted to adopt the annual reports from the Common Security and Defence Policy and from the Common Foreign and Security Policy, calling the Union to work on possible strategies for Taiwan’s security challenges.
The first report received 459 votes in favour, 93 against and 85 abstentions, while the second report had 407 votes in favour, 92 against and 142 abstentions. The European Parliament stated in the resolution that China is acting in intimidatory way with daily provocations against some neighbouring countries, like Taiwan. The parliament was also concerned over the growing military presence of China in the South China Sea, an area disputed by several countries.
Due to this aggressive stance, the parliament called on the European Union as whole to draw up possible strategies to cope with Taiwanese security. The resolution also called for strengthening cooperation with Taiwan, with bilateral investment agreements and with possible exchanges at all levels, including culture and science.
Taiwan is an island off the southern coast of China where the nationalists defeated from the Chinese Civil War took refuge in 1949. China refuses to recognize its sovereignty and considers it a wayward region of the country. Recently Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated that China will not renounce possible use of force against Taiwan.
