Diplomacy detour: Borrell calls on EU navies to patrol Taiwan Strait

23 Apr 2023 07:57
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EU's top diplomat says the region is of great interest to the bloc both economically and technologically.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell (Reuters)

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called on the bloc's navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait in an op-ed piece for the French Journal Du Dimanche newspaper published on Sunday.

The statement marks the first time a top EU official called for direct involvement in the disputed region in the South China Sea and fully aligns with Washington's provocative policy against Beijing.

Taiwan "concerns us economically, commercially and technologically," Borrell stressed.

"That's why I call on European navies to patrol the Taiwan Strait to show Europe's commitment to freedom of navigation in this absolutely crucial area."

Earlier this week, the EU's top diplomat said during a European Parliament conference debating China that "Taiwan is clearly part of our geostrategic perimeter to guarantee peace."

"It is not only for a moral reason that an action against Taiwan must necessarily be rejected. It is also because it would be, in economic terms, extremely serious for us, because Taiwan has a strategic role in the production of the most advanced semiconductors," he said on Tuesday.

His comments come in contraction with those of French President Emmanuel Macron, who said earlier this month that the European Union must maintain an independent sovereign policy on Taiwan, and not be a "follower" of either China or Washington.

"We don't want to get into a bloc versus bloc logic," Macron stressed, saying Europe "should not be caught up in a disordering of the world and crises that aren't ours".