In a meeting with Taiwan's president Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday, vice president of the European Parliament Nicola Beer urged China to engage in a "mutual and respectful dialogue" with the island democracy it claims as its own.
Beer stressed the significance of Taiwan "on a global scale" and demanded that the island be permitted to attend the World Health Assembly and that the European Union's delegation in Taipei be upgraded.
In response to Chinese threats to seize Taiwan by force, she reiterated support for that right, saying Beijing should "refrain from its menacing gestures" and not undermine the island's prosperity.
Beer remarked to Tsai that Taiwan "deserves to perform this role to the fullest as a global, strategic, responsible and trusted international partner."
Beer asserted that China should "play an active and constructive part in maintaining and securing the current status quo based on mutual and courteous discourse," adding that "only the Taiwanese people can decide on Taiwan's destiny."
Tsai praised the development of commercial ties between Taiwan and the EU in her remarks, as well as the adoption of 20 pro-Taipei resolutions by the European Parliament since the year 2021.
Tsai stated, "I would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Vice President Beer on behalf of the people of Taiwan.
Beer is one of the 14 vice presidents of the European Parliament, which has legislative, financial, and supervisory authority over the European Commission, the executive branch of the EU's 27 member states. Its members are renowned for adopting unique positions on international affairs, human rights, and the environment.
Beer's visit is the most recent in a string of increasingly active steps taken by politicians in Europe and America to resist China's assertive claims of its global dominance, including a relentless push to diplomatically isolate Taiwan.
Following Tsai's inaugural victory in 2016, Beijing severed all ties with Taipei due to her reluctance to recognize Taiwan as a part of China and her efforts to forge an autonomous Taiwanese identity.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, denounced Beer's trip to Taiwan and the passage of pro-Taiwan resolutions by the European Parliament on Tuesday.
Zhao referred to China's position that Taiwan has no right to independent diplomatic recognition as "a major infringement of the one-China principle and has poisoned the climate for China-Europe relations."
Zhao told reporters, "We urge the EU to sincerely uphold the one-China principle and exercise caution on Taiwan-related matters in order to avoid significant disruptions to China-EU bilateral relations.
Even if its actual response is frequently subdued, China consistently threatens economic and diplomatic repercussions over such visits.
One exception is Lithuania, from which China severed trade ties and withdrew its ambassador after the Baltic nation defied diplomatic convention by agreeing to name a de facto embassy in its capital of Vilnius after Taiwan rather than Chinese Taipei, which other nations use to avoid offending Beijing.
In the same daily briefing, Zhao issued a warning that if Nancy Pelosi went ahead with her rumored intentions to travel to Taiwan, China would take "resolute and powerful actions."
According to a Financial Times report, Pelosi, who is second in line for the presidency, will travel to Taiwan in August.
She would visit the close ally of the United States as the highest ranking American politician in 25 years.
Zhao claimed Pelosi's visit would "seriously damage China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, profoundly impact the foundation of China-U.S. relations, and send a seriously erroneous signal to Taiwan independence forces," but he did not elaborate on what steps China would take in response.
Pelosi's visit is expected to further sour relations between Washington and Beijing, which have already reached their lowest point in decades due to disagreements over trade, China's human rights record, its support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and U.S. arms sales to Taiwan. Neither the White House nor the State Department have made any official statements regarding Pelosi's planned visit.
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