China - Europe: The assault on China

The european Parliament’s attack on China

With the publication, on March 1^er 2024, of the "Resolution of the European Parliament on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy", the Parliament acts as the mouthpiece of the European Commission and its High Representative for Foreign Affairs to attack China in an unmitigated indictment of over one thousand four hundred words. He goes so far as to call into question the hitherto accepted principle of one China, asserting that neither Taiwan nor China are subordinate to each other. For the time being, China is not taking these matamore-like remarks seriously. Let's hope it stays that way. For it is unarmed, in the open, that Europe wants to engage. If China takes these statements seriously, if it sanctions them, the price to pay for our economies could prove disastrous.

China's response to the european resolution

On March 1^er 2024, following the publication of the paragraphs relating to China in the "European Parliament Resolution on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy", the European Union’s Chinese Mission expressed its strongest opposition to and unreserved condemnation of the European Parliament. It states that China is "extremely shocked" by the European Parliament's outrageous statements that "neither Taiwan nor China is subordinate to the other¹ ."

The european Parliament’s concerns and condemnations

In the European foreign policy statement, the European Parliament expresses its deep concern at "China's growing assertiveness, notably through a policy of economic coercion, one of the major geopolitical challenges of the 21st^e century". 

A statement that immediately announces the condemnation:

• acts of hybrid warfare, such as cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns and surveillance or spying on Chinese citizens within the Union;
• the system of forced labor and human rights violations that could constitute crimes against humanity in Tibet and Inner Mongolia, a high risk of genocide in Xinjiang ;
• violations by China of its international commitments, relating to the civil and political rights that govern the "one country, two systems" status. Foremost among these are the Sino-Portuguese and Sino-British joint declarations on the autonomous status of Macau and Hong Kong. In particular, the attacks on Hong Kong's autonomy and the repression of figures involved in the struggle for autonomy in the Special Administrative Region.

Revisiting the one-China Policy

But that's not the main point. In 1975, when it established diplomatic relations with China, the European Union undertook to recognize that there was "only one China in the world". It is now going back on this commitment, condemning China's ongoing military provocations against Taiwan, and going so far as to call on EU member states to ensure that any attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo in the Taiwan Strait, particularly by force, is not accepted and comes at a high cost.

The key passage in the resolution

But above all, in paragraph 119 of its resolution:

• condemning the Chinese President's statements that China will never renounce the right to use force against Taiwan, and justifying this position when it "notes that neither Taiwan nor China are subordinate to each other" ;
• affirming that only the democratically elected Taiwanese government can represent the Taiwanese people on the international stage, and calling on the Commission and Member States to support Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations such as the WHO, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change² .

An unvarnished indictment of over 1,400 words.

China's moderate response to the provocation

Beijing's response to what could be seen as a provocation is very moderate. 

Only the unofficial Global Times quotes foreign sources as interpreting the European Parliament's statements as a "signal of a significant change in support for Taiwan", and as using terms never before used to assert that Taiwan is not subordinate to China.

The Chinese mission to the EU refrains from making threats when it simply states: "By openly advocating 'one China, one Taiwan', the terms of the Parliament's resolution call into question the one-China principle, promote 'Taiwan independence' and reveal the ignorance of history and the dark intention of European politicians to hinder China's reunification. International law is being seriously flouted; China's sovereignty is being infringed, and this is interference in its internal affairs."

What this could mean for China-EU relations

At the same time, the disparaging Global Times observes that many of the European Parliament's resolutions have no legal effect, making it inclined to take extreme positions on Chinese policies. A few grains of sand, then. But were it otherwise, if these resolutions were to become reality, going beyond the "red lines", they could constitute a very serious event that would durably affect relations between China and Europe.

We can only hope that Beijing will leave it at that. Unlike the United States, from which it draws its inspiration, the European Parliament, as spokesman for the European Commission and its High Representative for Foreign Affairs, wants to take China to task, unarmed, with no means of retaliation, in the open. Let China take these declarations seriously, and the price to be paid for our economies could prove disastrous.

EV

_Sources

1. _{China hits back at EP report's "outrageous" remarks on Taiwan Island, Global Times, 01/03/2023.}
2. _{European Parliament resolution of 28 February 2024 on the implementation of the Common Foreign and Security Policy.}

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