Beijing (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – China said it complained to the European Parliament over a speech Taiwanese Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim gave to a group of its lawmakers.
Hsiao delivered a rare speech on Friday at the European Parliament in Brussels, during the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China’s annual summit. However, she did not give a formal address to the entire EU parliament.
How did China react to Hsiao Bi-khim’s speech to EU lawmakers?
“China has lodged serious protests with the European Parliament on the Taiwan independence politician’s activities in the building of the European Parliament,”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Monday, Bloomberg reported.
Lin said Hsiao’s call for more significant support and international recognition for the self-ruled archipelago would
“only reveal the despicable attempt to advance separatist activities,”
which would
“never change the inevitability of China’s reunification.”
What was the focus of Hsiao Bi-khim’s speech?
In a speech at the European Parliament, the Taiwanese Vice President called Taiwan and its 23 million people “a victim of coercion” by China. She urged the European Union to increase security and trade ties with the self-governing island and back its democracy in the face of growing threats by China.
“Peace in the Taiwan Strait is essential to global stability and economic continuity, and international opposition against unilateral changes to the status quo by force cannot be overstated,”
Hsiao informed lawmakers gathered for a China-focused assemblage in the European parliament building.
“In an era marked by increasing fragmentation, volatility and rising authoritarianism, this gathering affirms something vital – that democracies, even when far apart, are not alone,”
she also said.
As reported by the Guardian, Hsiao’s visit was part of a meeting organised by the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a global group of hundreds of legislators aiming to enhance coordination on China-related policies and advocate for unified international efforts on major China issues. Nearly 50 lawmakers from about two dozen nations attended Friday’s event in Brussels.
Why did China urge Germany to oppose Taiwan independence?
Additionally, on Sunday, Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in Berlin to deliver a speech at the Berlin Freedom Conference. According to sources, the conference convenes leaders from various sectors to encourage democracies to act with more clarity, purpose, and confidence in an increasingly multipolar world.
In the press briefing on Monday, Lin called on Germany to
“oppose Taiwan independence moves, avoid sending any wrong message to Taiwan independence separatist forces, and take concrete actions to uphold overall bilateral relations.”
