TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The European Parliament (EP) passed a resolution on Thursday (Oct. 24) denouncing China's use of UN Resolution 2758 to exclude Taiwan from international organizations.
During a Thursday session in Strasbourg, the EP passed a resolution supporting Taiwan and opposing China's coercion of the country with 432 votes in favor, 60 against, and 71 abstentions. The measure was titled: "European Parliament resolution on the misinterpretation of UN resolution 2758 by the People's Republic of China and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan."
The resolution had 22 points, which included reaffirming Taiwan as a key EU partner and praising its democracy and civil society. It expressed gratitude for Taiwan’s COVID-19 assistance, welcomed Taiwan’s cooperation with the EU and the US in supporting Ukraine, and called for the EU to deepen exchanges with the country, including establishing partnerships between cities and regions.
The resolution also welcomed visits to Europe by current and former Taiwanese political figures and noted that EP delegations will continue to visit Taiwan. It called on the European Commission to prepare for talks on an investment deal or other agreements with Taiwan.
The resolution condemned China’s military drills on Oct. 14 and its ongoing military provocations toward Taiwan. It commended Taiwan for its restraint and condemned China’s military buildup, “which is changing the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.”
The resolution expressed concern over the situation in the East and South China Seas and Beijing and Moscow military ties. It supported the US’s increasing security commitments and military presence in the Indo-Pacific region and applauded freedom of navigation exercises by France, the Netherlands, and Germany.
The EP measure opposed China’s “constant distortion” of UN Resolution 2758 and its efforts to block Taiwan’s participation in multilateral organizations, stressing the resolution "takes no position on Taiwan." The EP “strongly rejects and refutes the PRC’s attempts to distort history and international rules.”
Thursday's resolution also condemned Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s (習近平) statements about not renouncing the use of force against Taiwan, China’s gray-zone military actions, disinformation campaigns against Taiwan, and economic coercion targeting Taiwan and EU countries.
The resolution called on the EU to use sanctions, including those on specific economic sectors to set red lines for China. It urged cooperation with like-minded countries to adopt strong diplomatic and economic deterrence measures.
The resolution reiterates the EU’s “one-China” policy and opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait through force. It also emphasizes that “it is up to the people to democratically decide how they want to live and that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait.”
It expressed concern over Beijing's new rules aimed at punishing "diehard Taiwan independence separatists" and condemned China’s sentencing of Taiwanese politician Yang Chih-yuan (楊智淵) to nine years in prison in September, as well as its harassment of Taiwanese citizens living and working in China.
On Thursday, the Taipei Representative Office in the EU and Belgium thanked the EP for passing the resolution. The office said the resolution exemplifies the global community's opposition to China's misinterpretation of the UN resolution and its support for Taiwan's democracy and security.
The office pledged that Taiwan will continue to work with the EU and other like-minded partners to safeguard peace and security in the region and uphold the rules-based international order.