EU urges closer cooperation with Taiwan, partners

The European Parliament on Thursday passed a report calling for closer cooperation with like-minded partners, including Taiwan, to build a resilient web of trusted connectivity. The European Commission and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy in 2021 launched the Global Gateway, a strategic initiative to boost sustainable and high-quality infrastructure investments worldwide aimed at operating as a transparent and values-based alternative to other global infrastructure initiatives such as China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Four years after its inception and one year into the current European Commission’s term, the European Parliament has been reviewing the progress of the initiative. It on Thursday passed a resolution on a progress report. Photo: Reuters The resolution was passed with 371 votes (62 percent) in favor, 146 (24 percent) against, and 80 abstentions. The Global Gateway strategy aims to become “EU’s flagship framework for sustainable connectivity and global investment, and as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative,” the report said. It said the initiative “calls for closer cooperation with like-minded partners with a view to building a resilient web of trusted connectivity, especially, but not exclusively, partners such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, India and Taiwan.” In an environment of increased geopolitical rivalry and uncertainty, the Global Gateway initiative can boost smart, clean and secure links between the bloc and its partners, the report said, adding that it can help restore Europe’s industrial competitiveness, while reducing its dependencies in critical sectors and counterbalancing China’s growing global influence. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday said that as authoritarian regimes leverage non-transparent lending and infrastructure projects to extend their global reach, it would deepen cooperation with the EU and other like-minded countries through its “integrated diplomacy” framework, and jointly promote a cooperation model consistent with democratic values. It also said that it welcomed and appreciated a joint statement by German and Australian defense ministries released on Thursday, adding that it “underscored the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, and reaffirmed their shared opposition to any unilateral action to change the status quo.” The joint statement was issued after Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles met with German Minister of Defense Boris Pistorius in Canberra. Taiwan, Australia and Germany are like-minded partners that share universal values such as democracy, freedom and the rule of law, MOFA said. “The joint statement issued by these two nations once again demonstrates that maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea and the broader Indo-Pacific region has become a matter of international consensus,” it added. ‘UNFRIENDLY’: Changing the nationality listing of Taiwanese residents to ‘China’ goes against EU foreign policy as well as democratic and human rights principles, MOFA said Taiwan yesterday called on Denmark to correct its designation of the nationality of Taiwanese residents as “China” or face retaliatory measures. The Danish government in 2024 changed the nationality of Taiwanese citizens on their residence permits from “Taiwan” to “China.” The decision goes against EU foreign policy and contravenes democratic and human rights principles, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) spokesman Hsiao Kuang-wei (蕭光偉) said. Denmark should present a solution acceptable to Taiwan as soon as possible and correct the erroneous designation to preserve the longstanding friendship between the two nations, Hsiao said. The issue could damage Denmark’s image and business reputation in Taiwan, KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s Taiwan climbed to its highest position in global export rankings in more than three decades last year, buoyed by demand linked to artificial intelligence (AI) that lifted shipments of semiconductors and technology products, Ministry of Finance data released yesterday showed. Taiwan accounted for 2.4 percent of global exports last year, or about US$640 billion, ranking 12th worldwide, the data showed. That was up four places from a year earlier and marked the nation’s best ranking since 1994, the ministry said. Taiwan’s share of global exports rose by 0.5 percentage points from the previous year, the largest increase among major economies, reflecting the nation’s FIRST TRIAL: Ko’s lawyers sought reduced bail and other concessions, as did other defendants, but the bail judge denied their requests, citing the severity of the sentences Former Taipei mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was yesterday sentenced to 17 years in prison and had his civil rights suspended for six years over corruption, embezzlement and other charges. Taipei prosecutors in December last year asked the Taipei District Court for a combined 28-year, six-month sentence for the four cases against Ko, who founded the Taiwan People’s Party (TPP). The cases were linked to the Core Pacific City (京華城購物中心) redevelopment project and the mismanagement of political donations. Other defendants convicted on separate charges included Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei City Councilor Angela Ying (應曉薇), who was handed a 15-year, six-month sentence; Core Pacific