On the People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan

B100135/2024

European Parliament resolution on the People’s Republic of China’s misinterpretation of the UN resolution 2758 and its continuous military provocations around Taiwan

(2024/2891(RSP))

The European Parliament,

– having regard to its recommendation of 21 October 2021 to the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy on EU-Taiwan political relations and cooperation,

– having regard to its resolution of 7 June 2022 on the EU and the security challenges in the Indo-Pacific,

– having regard to its resolution of 15 September 2022 on the situation in the Strait of Taiwan,

– having regard to its resolution of 16 September 2021 on a new EU-China strategy,

– having regard to its recommendation of 13 December 2023 to the Council and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning EU-China relations,

– having regard to the EU-China summit of 1 April 2022,

– having regard to the EU’s ‘One China’ policy,

– having regard to the Strategic Compass for Security and Defence, approved by the Council on 21 March 2022,

– having regard to the G7 Foreign Ministers’ statement of 3 August 2022 on preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,

– having regard to the seventh high-level meeting of the EU-US Dialogue on China and the sixth meeting of the EU-US High-Level Consultations on the Indo-Pacific, which took place on 9 and 10 September 2024,

– having regard to the statement of the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of 18 April 2023 on EU-China relations,

– having regard to the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Parliament and the Council of 22 June 2016 entitled ‘Elements for a new EU strategy on China’ (JOIN(2016)0030) and the joint communication from the Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council of 12 March 2019 entitled ‘EU-China – A strategic outlook’ (JOIN(2019)0005),

– having regard to UN General Assembly Resolution 2758 (XXVI) of 25 October 1971 on the restoration of the lawful rights of the People’s Republic of China in the United Nations,

– having regard to Article 7 of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), concluded on 9 May 1992,

– having regard to Rule 5 of the Standing Rules of Procedure of the Assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO),

– having regard to Article 4 of the Constitution of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol),

– having regard to Article 8 and Article 18, paragraph (h), of the Constitution of the World Health Organization (WHO),

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas many of the most important global issues, such as the fight against climate change, the preservation of human health, the regulation of air navigation and the suppression of transnational crime, require multilateral cooperation involving all countries and stakeholders;

B. whereas the statutes of most international organisations tasked with addressing these global issues, including the WHO, the UNFCCC, Interpol and the ICAO, provide opportunities for non-state entities to participate without infringing the rights of member states;

C. whereas Taiwan has established a vibrant political system with pluralism and a thriving democracy, has consistently demonstrated a peaceful and cooperative attitude globally, has significantly enhanced global developments and thus could contribute greatly to the work of various international organisations;

D. whereas UN Resolution 2758 addresses the status of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), but does not determine that the PRC enjoys sovereignty over Taiwan, nor does it make any judgement on the future inclusion of Taiwan in the UN or any other international organisation; whereas, however, the PRC continues to misinterpret UN Resolution 2758 to block Taiwan’s meaningful participation in international organisations; whereas these actions highlight the PRC’s ambition to alter the existing multilateral international order and can be seen as an expression of systemic rivalry;

E. whereas the EU’s commitment to effective multilateralism, with the UN at its core, is central to its external policy, as international cooperation remains indispensable in effectively addressing global crises, threats and challenges; whereas the EU and Taiwan are like-minded partners that share the common values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law; whereas, therefore, the EU has a vital interest in Taiwan’s participation in international organisations, including Interpol, the UNFCCC, the ICAO and the WHO;

F. whereas supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organisations does not undermine the EU’s commitment to its ‘One China’ policy, which remains the political foundation of EU-China relations;

G. whereas the recent military exercises conducted by the PRC in the Taiwan Strait and around Taiwan, particularly the drills initiated on 14 October 2024, are of significant concern; whereas these recent exercises, code-named ‘Joint Sword-2024B’, have involved extensive military activities, including 125 aircraft sorties and the mobilisation of 17 naval and coastguard vessels near Taiwan;

H. whereas the PRC appears to be seeking to perpetuate its overly aggressive actions, trying to erode the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, which may lead to a dangerous escalation, even if unintended, with a severe impact on global stability and peace, including for the EU;

I. whereas as a global actor and especially as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, the PRC has a responsibility to work for peace and stability in the region and particularly in the Taiwan Strait;

J. whereas the Taiwan Strait is the primary route for ships travelling to Europe from the PRC, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and is thus of vital strategic importance for the EU;

K. whereas the EU remains committed to using every available channel to encourage initiatives aimed at promoting dialogue, cooperation and confidence-building across both sides of the Taiwan Strait;

L. whereas the PRC’s 2005 Anti-Secession Law includes the use of non-peaceful means, triggered by ambiguous thresholds, to achieve what the PRC calls ‘unification’ with Taiwan; whereas such military action is a grave threat to the security and stability of the entire region, with potentially dire global consequences;

1. Strongly emphasises that UN Resolution 2758 does not mention and therefore does not make any determinations about Taiwan’s future participation in the UN or other international organisations;

2. Supports Taiwan’s participation in meetings, mechanisms and activities of relevant international organisations, particularly the WHO, the UNFCCC, Interpol and the ICAO, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote Taiwan’s inclusion in these international forums, in accordance with the provisions of their respective statutory rules;

3. Rejects the institutionalisation and normalisation in the UN of Beijing’s stance on Taiwan; calls on UN bodies to provide transparency on any agreement or pressure exerted by the PRC on the UN to restrict Taiwan’s access to the UN and its facilities, and to deny accreditation to Taiwanese civil society groups and non-governmental organisations; calls for the EU and its Member States to push back against such behaviour, while increasing their coordination of and cooperation with excluded Taiwanese groups;

4. Reiterates the EU’s commitment to its ‘One China’ policy as the political foundation of EU-China relations; recalls that the EU’s China strategy emphasises that constructive cross-strait relations are part of promoting peace and security in the whole Asia-Pacific region and that the EU supports initiatives aimed at dialogue and confidence-building;

5. Underlines that on the democratic island of Taiwan, it is up to the people to decide how they want to live and that the status quo in the Taiwan Strait must not be unilaterally changed by the use or threat of force;

6. Condemns the PRC’s ongoing military exercises in the Taiwan Strait, notably the drills initiated on 14 October 2024 around Taiwan; calls on the PRC to immediately terminate its provocative military exercises around Taiwan and to cease all actions that could escalate tensions in the Taiwan Strait and undermine regional stability; lauds the restraint and disciplined reaction of the Taiwanese armed forces and calls for regular exchanges between the EU and its Taiwanese counterparts on relevant security issues;

7. Reminds the PRC of its responsibilities, as a UN member state, to uphold international law as outlined in the UN Charter, particularly the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which emphasises the obligation to resolve disputes peacefully and to maintain freedom of navigation and overflight;

8. Notes that the PRC’s provocative actions against Taiwan and in the wider region, as well as the PRC’s support for Russia’s illegal and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, have grave consequences for EU-China relations; notes that further escalation would have a detrimental effect on the EU economy, and that contingency planning and mitigation measures must be urgently developed based on likely escalation scenarios; calls, in this context, for stronger cooperation and the sharing of expertise between the EU and Taiwan on issues pertaining to civil-military defence, foreign information manipulation and interference, and emergency relief;

9. Firmly rejects the PRC’s economic coercion against Taiwan and other democracies in its region, as well as against EU Member States, and underlines that such practices are not only illegal under World Trade Organization rules, but that they also have a devastating effect on the PRC’s reputation around the world and will lead to a further loss of trust in the PRC as a partner; calls on the missions of the EU and its Member States to expose and call out malign PRC business practices, especially in the Global South;

10. Highlights that the PRC’s various actions in the field of cognitive and legal warfare slowly undermine the status quo, as well as intensifying grey-zone activities that are intended to circumvent detection, existing laws and response thresholds; calls for the EU to establish and enforce its redlines using its toolbox of sanctions, including sectoral sanctions, against hybrid activities and cyberthreats, and to coordinate strong diplomatic and economic deterrence measures with liked-minded partners;

11. Emphasises that the world’s strategic and economic centre of gravity is shifting to the Indo-Pacific, making it imperative for the EU to adopt a clear and credible EU-level approach for this region; calls, therefore, on the Member States to enhance their economic and diplomatic presence across the Indo-Pacific region, including in Taiwan;

12. Applauds the increase in freedom of navigation exercises conducted by several EU countries, including France, the Netherlands and Germany; notes that these activities are in line with international law and calls for more cooperation and coordination with regional partners to increase freedom of navigation operations in the region;

13. Recognises that gestures of support, such as parliamentary visits, are valuable, and believes that they can contribute to deterrence if paired with substantive cooperation in other fields; underlines, in this context, its intention to send future official parliamentary delegations to Taiwan;

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the United Nations member states, and the government and parliament of Taiwan.