TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taipei offices of the UK, France, and Germany released a joint statement Wednesday expressing concern about Chinese military activity east of Taiwan.
The Chinese actions threatened regional stability, freedom of navigation, and the safety of international shipping, the statement said. The representative offices of the three European nations reiterated their opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo, “particularly by threat or use of force or coercion.”
The statement emphasized the need to guarantee and respect “all navigational rights and freedoms,” as well as the safety of vessels and their crews. The British Office Taipei, Bureau Francais de Taipei, and Deutsches Institut Taipei published the statement in Mandarin and English on social media Wednesday.
The statement followed China’s announcement that it was conducting “special maritime law enforcement operations,” CNA reported. The announcement came after talks between Japan and the Philippines centered on maritime boundaries east of Taiwan, though Taipei did not participate in the talks.
