TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Belgian Chamber of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Els Van Hoof recently introduced a resolution condemning China's threats towards Taiwan. The resolution is scheduled to be discussed by the committee on Dec. 14.
Van Hoof, who recently visited Taiwan as part of an Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China delegation, pointed out in the proposal that maintaining peace across the Taiwan Strait is in the interest of Belgium, per Liberty Times. The Taiwan Strait status quo is under increasing pressure from China, she said.
The Belgian representative said that frequent incursions of People’s Liberation Army Air Force aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, and China's efforts to block Taiwan from participating in international organizations are actions that undermine peace in the region.
The purpose of the resolution is to condemn China's military exercises and increasingly provocative actions against Taiwan, to express support for the Taiwanese, and to call for the end of actions that may endanger the stability in the region, she said.
Van Hoof mentioned that Taiwan is one of the true democracies in the region. She also noted that Belgium and Taiwan share common values, such as respect for human rights and the rule of law.
Taiwanese will not be alone if China invades, the committee chair said. A separate resolution supported by the lawmaker calls for the Belgian government to strengthen its presence in the region through EU mechanisms, and to strengthen its relationship with Taiwan, through economic, scientific, cultural, and parliamentary dialogue and exchanges, according to Liberty Times.
In response to Van Hoof’s proposed resolution, the Chinese ambassador to Belgium, Cao Zhongming (曹忠明), warned Belgium not to "support 'Taiwan independence' separatist forces through any means, so as to jointly uphold the overall bilateral relationship between China and Belgium," Politico reported.
He also said that "any act that endorses 'Taiwan independence' will seriously damage peace and stability of the Taiwan Strait, and that 'playing with fire' on the Taiwan question will seriously damage relations between relevant countries and China."
Van Hoof told POLITICO that the resolution “emphasizes that the status quo must not be touched unilaterally, so not by China, but also not by Taiwan." It does not recognize or demand Taiwan independence, she said.
Additionally, Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib reiterated that changing the status quo in the Taiwan Strait with the use of force is unacceptable. She also expressed support for Taiwan's participation in international organizations.
