EU delegation to visit Taiwan
The EU special committee will today arrive in Taipei to hold talks with the Taiwanese representatives.
During the meeting, attendees will discuss possible ways to boost EU-Taiwan relations amidst the intrusions of China. The past month has seen unprecedented incursions of Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, drawing the attention of Taiwan’s Western allies.
Wary of Beijing’s expansionist activities in the Indo-Pacific region, Brussels hopes to strengthen diplomatic relations with Taipei in the face of threats from the mainland.
In the short- to medium-term, Beijing will respond to the EU’s attempts to build closer ties with Taiwan—which Beijing claims as its own territory—by imposing sanctions to blacklist the representatives that took part in the visit. The EU in turn will likely take a step back to refrain from further antagonizing Beijing. As a result, it is highly unlikely for Brussels to pursue with its plan to finalize the EU-Taiwan investment deal despite Taiwan’s strong desire. Although the deal would have enhanced bilateral trade volume and Taiwanese investments in the EU, many member states are wary about the stakes of losing heavy Chinese investments within the framework of the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment (CAI).
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