Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung expressed gratitude to the European Union, Belgium’s Chamber of Representatives and Italy’s Chamber of Deputies for backing Taiwan amid growing pressure from China.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission published a white paper on European defense readiness March 19 that expresses a high level of concern over China’s rapid military expansion. The paper indicates that escalating tension in the Taiwan Strait could curtail EU access to key supplies and technologies, and emphasized that to counter cyberattacks and hybrid threats, it must strengthen security cooperation with like-minded partners.
The MOFA also said that Belgium’s Chamber of Representatives passed a resolution March 20 to urge the government to condemn China’s aggression toward Taiwan and collaborate with European partners to play a more active role in Indo-Pacific issues. The resolution further advocated for additional promotion of cultural, economic and scientific cooperation with Taiwan while supporting its engagement in such international bodies as the World Health Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization.
The ministry added that the foreign affairs committee of Italy’s Chamber of Deputies published a report March 20 about the influence of the EU and Italy on the Indo-Pacific. The MOFA said Taiwan is mentioned more than 50 times in the document, which reiterated the Italian government’s support for cross-strait peace and Taiwan’s involvement in the global community. (POC-E)
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