‘Taiwan is not alone’: EU Parliament delegation conveys support on historic visit

ISTANBUL

The first official delegation of the European Parliament to visit Taiwan met the island nation’s president on Thursday, asserting that Taipei is not alone as it faces increasing pressure from Beijing.

“We came here with a simple message Ms. President Tsai Ing-wen: Taiwan is not alone,” Raphael Glucksmann, leader of the EU lawmakers’ group, said on Twitter.

“Europe is standing with you in the defense of freedom, democracy, and human dignity.”

The Taiwanese president said they discussed “cooperation against disinformation and cyberattacks.”

“A stronger Taiwan-EU partnership will help us better address these common threats and protect our shared democratic values,” she said on Twitter.

The EU delegation landed in Taipei on Wednesday on a visit that comes amid escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait, where China says Western countries have been “meddling in its internal affairs.”

Beijing claims Taiwan, an island nation of some 24 million people, as a breakaway province, while Taipei has insisted on its independence since 1949 and has diplomatic relations with at least 15 countries.

The European lawmakers will be in Taipei until Friday and are expected to meet local government officials, experts, and representatives from non-governmental organizations.

‘EU must not send wrong signals to secessionists’

Commenting on the EU lawmakers’ trip, Beijing said Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party’s “secession acts cannot in the slightest change the fact that Taiwan is part of China.”

“A few politicians cannot shake the international community’s adherence to the One China principle or change the general trend of China’s inevitable reunification,” Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference in Beijing.

He said the European Parliament members “should be fully aware of the complexity and sensitivity of the Taiwan question, and maintain the political foundation for China-EU ties,” the Chinese state-run daily Global Times reported.

“We urge the EU not to send any wrong signals to secessionists to avoid affecting China-EU ties,” Wang added.

Tensions between Beijing and Taipei have escalated in recent weeks, particularly since it was confirmed that US troops have been present in Taiwan for over a year – the first time American forces have been deployed on the island since 1979.

At least 40 Taiwanese troops are also being trained by Americans on the island of Guam.

China has recently ramped up air sorties into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone to a record high, further fanning fears of possible conflict in the region.