TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A member of the European Parliament (MEP) on Tuesday (Sept. 13) called on the European Union (EU) to "speak clearly and carry a big stick" to deal with Chinese military threats against Taiwan.
During a plenary session of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR Group) of the European Parliament (EP) on Tuesday, MEP Charlie Weimers outlined key steps member countries should take to counter Beijing's belligerence against Taiwan or other countries in the Indo-Pacific, based on lessons learned from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Weimers' key takeaways from the war in Ukraine that can be applied to Taiwan are as follows:
- Minimize dependency on cheap energy or imports
- Send weapons to allies before enemy attacks
- Work with regional partners and elsewhere to decouple from China
- Strengthen EU-Taiwan economies through beneficial trade and investment agreements
- Declare that any kinetic action against Taiwan will have serious consequences
Prior to any Chinese military action against Taiwan, Weimers called on the EU to announce in advance that EU-China relations will never return to "business as usual" if such measures are taken. Weimers closed by exhorting his colleagues to "speak clearly and carry a big stick," his spin on President Theodore Roosevelt's big stick ideology of "speak softly and carry a big stick."
Chinese threats against Taiwan: Time for the West to speak clearly and carry a big stick.
As co-author of the EP resolution on the situation in the Taiwan Strait, I'm pleased that there is consensus that provocations against must have consequences for EU-PRC relations. pic.twitter.com/zoxTRY5rCy
— Charlie Weimers MEP 〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕〔錯誤字元無法儲存〕 (@weimers) September 13, 2022
