The Diplomat
The government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) expresses, in a press release sent to The Diplomat by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Madrid, its gratitude to the European Parliament for the approval, in less than 24 hours, of three resolutions referring to Taiwan. In them, the European Parliament gives its support to the government of Taipei “in the face of the increased tension in the Taiwan Strait and the continuous military threats it is receiving from China”, which it describes as “provocative”.
In the resolutions, adopted on January 20 and 21, the European Parliament expresses its “grave concern” about the situation in the Taiwan Strait and reaffirms the need to remain vigilant about what is happening there.
In particular, it makes specific reference to China’s “increasingly provocative military exercises directed against Taiwan”, calls on the parties involved to resolve their differences peacefully through “constructive dialogue” and stresses that any change in cross-Taiwan Strait relations “must not be made against the will of the Taiwanese people”. It also calls on its member states to help ensure that democracy in Taiwan is “free from foreign threats.”
During 2020 and to date, Taiwan has detected the presence of nearly 2,000 Chinese military aircraft and more than 400 military ships, and has been forced to mobilize its air, naval and land defense capabilities, as well as the resources and efforts of civil society and the public and private sectors, the statement said.
On the other hand, the Parliament also refers to the optimal management that Taiwan has done to control the Covid-19 pandemic and, consequently, calls on the European Union and its Member States to support Taiwan’s meaningful and pragmatic participation as an observer in the World Health Organization (WHO).
In this regard, and referring to Taiwan’s support for the rest of international society, it applauds Taiwan’s solidarity with the European Union by donating more than seven million surgical masks to Member States during the pandemic, half a million of them to Spain.
