EU, US Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

"The European Parliament must stop working for the US State Department," Mick Wallace, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) did this call in a speech posted on his Twitter account on October 26. Wallace, who is an Irish politician, criticized the European Parliament for serving the US in stoking tensions and vilifying China over the Taiwan question after the parliament "has performed its service to the US war machine" by using fake information and lies to demonize China over the Xinjiang issue.

Wallace emphasized that the fact "Taiwan is part of China" is recognized by the United Nations, and the US and the European parliament are interfering in China's internal affairs, which violates the UN Charter. The US propaganda and warmongering must stop and the European Parliament must cease to serve the US State Department, he said in the video. 

The cross-Straits situation has been simmering in recent months with the US constantly escalating tensions. In this context, the European Parliament has also begun to ratchet up provocations against the mainland over the Taiwan question. Despite China's strong opposition, a delegation of MEPs will visit the island of Taiwan this week. On October 20, the European Parliament passed a report on enhancing EU-Taiwan relations, including calling on the EU to begin preparing for the possible signing of a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) with the island. It also called for changing the name of the EU representative office in Taipei. 

These provocative moves have seriously violated the EU's commitment to the one-China principle and undermined the healthy development of China-Europe relations.The European Parliament has increasingly become an accomplice of the US in flaring up the Taiwan question and escalating tensions in the Straits. During the process, the role of a group of radical MEPs deserves attention. 

Radical troublemakers

In March, the Chinese side decided to impose reciprocal sanctions on 10 individuals and four entities on the EU side that have severely harmed China's sovereignty and interests and maliciously spread lies and disinformation concerning Xinjiang. Half of the individuals on the sanction list are from the European Parliament.   

Behind the European Parliament's recent provocations over the Taiwan question are some leading MEPs who harbor malice and prejudice against China and have repeatedly smeared China with disinformation and lies on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Raphael Glucksmann, a French MEP, is heading the upcoming delegation to Taiwan. Glucksmann was blacklisted by the Chinese side in March. He groundlessly accused Xinjiang of keeping "3 million people in concentration camps," which has been proven an outright rumor. Disregarding the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, he called Taiwan a "sovereign democracy" on Instagram and suggested the EU should revise its "one China" policy last year in a joint letter with a group of EU parliamentarians and experts. 

The EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation report aiming at upgrading EU-Taiwan relations was drafted by Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers. 

The Swedish MEP has long held a twisted attitude toward China. In April 2020, he was described as "at the forefront of calling for" the investigation into China's handling on the COVID-19 crisis and accused China of delaying in releasing the information to the world.

Besides Glucksmann and Weimers, MEPs Reinhard Butikofer and Michael Gahler, both of whom are on the Chinese side's sanction list, are also main figures that have been pushing the European Parliament to make an issue of the Taiwan question. Butikofer threatened that "but then there is Taiwan" on Twitter after he was banned from visiting the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in March. Gahler, chair of the EP-Taiwan Friendship Group - the most powerful lobby for Taiwan in the European Parliament - is a major representative of Taiwan's interests in the parliament. 

Following Washington's step

"The behavior of a number of MEPs in visiting Taiwan and introducing the EU-Taiwan resolution was at best irresponsible, at worst, highly dangerous," Clare Daly, an Irish MEP who is a part of the minority opposing the European Parliament intervening in the Taiwan question told the Global Times. Daly believes it is part of a broader anti-China campaign which has become very visible inside the European Parliament. "For example, since my election, we have had nine resolutions, which have been broadly attacking China in relation to human rights mattes and so on, yet only one in relation to the United States, after George Floyd, and that took a huge amount of effort to get that onto the agenda," Daly said. 

"Those anti-China MEPs are making an issue of the Taiwan question to gain political scores and garner public attention," said Gao Jian, director of the Center for British Studies, Shanghai International Studies University. They even touted being sanctioned by China side as political capitals, which shows the entrenched anti-China hysteria in the European Parliament, Gao noted.  

Quite a large number of MEPs have a biased attitude toward China. The EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation report was approved by 580 votes in favor and 26 against with 66 abstentions. It's fair to say that most of the MEPs are not adept at handling external relations, nor do they have common sense about international relations, Chinese observers said.

 Provoking China over the Taiwan question that concerns the country's core interests has reflected those MEPs' ignorance of international politics. Moreover, Washington's influence in Brussels cannot be underestimated. Many MEPs' stance is susceptible to Washington's will power. 

By provoking China over the Taiwan question, those anti-China MEPs are in fact attempting to lead the EU into a dead end of confronting China. In order to attract attention for their private ends, they can completely put aside the EU interests. What they have done and are doing serve their own interests and the interests of the US, but runs counter to the interests of the EU. "It is in the interest of the US to break the link between the EU and China, which would then make the EU more dependent on the US," Daly warned.  

Although the report on upgrading EU-Taiwan relations is non-binding, it could mislead European public opinion, ergo deepening some Europeans' sympathy for Taiwan and hostility toward the mainland. It could also create stumbling blocks in China-EU relations. Regarding China as a new cold war rival, Washington is making great efforts to rally allies against China. Although the EU emphasizes strategic autonomy, it's precisely because of institutions such as the European Parliament which dance to the US' tune that adds weight to the impression that EU is subordinated to the US. 

In October, during his call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, European Council President Charles Michel said the EU abides by the one-China policy, and has never changed its policies concerning Taiwan. However, in the future, the European Parliament may continue to play a negative role in China-EU relations and the development of EU. As such, it's necessary for China to demand EU leaders make clearer statements on EU's Taiwan policy to curb some forces' attempt to play with fire, said Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies, China Institute of International Studies.

EU, US Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

"The European Parliament must stop working for the US State Department," Mick Wallace, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) did this call in a speech posted on his Twitter account on October 26. Wallace, who is an Irish politician, criticized the European Parliament for serving the US in stoking tensions and vilifying China over the Taiwan question after the parliament "has performed its service to the US war machine" by using fake information and lies to demonize China over the Xinjiang issue.

Wallace emphasized that the fact "Taiwan is part of China" is recognized by the United Nations, and the US and the European parliament are interfering in China's internal affairs, which violates the UN Charter. The US propaganda and warmongering must stop and the European Parliament must cease to serve the US State Department, he said in the video. 

The cross-Straits situation has been simmering in recent months with the US constantly escalating tensions. In this context, the European Parliament has also begun to ratchet up provocations against the mainland over the Taiwan question. Despite China's strong opposition, a delegation of MEPs will visit the island of Taiwan this week. On October 20, the European Parliament passed a report on enhancing EU-Taiwan relations, including calling on the EU to begin preparing for the possible signing of a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) with the island. It also called for changing the name of the EU representative office in Taipei. 

These provocative moves have seriously violated the EU's commitment to the one-China principle and undermined the healthy development of China-Europe relations.The European Parliament has increasingly become an accomplice of the US in flaring up the Taiwan question and escalating tensions in the Straits. During the process, the role of a group of radical MEPs deserves attention. 

Radical troublemakers

In March, the Chinese side decided to impose reciprocal sanctions on 10 individuals and four entities on the EU side that have severely harmed China's sovereignty and interests and maliciously spread lies and disinformation concerning Xinjiang. Half of the individuals on the sanction list are from the European Parliament.   

Behind the European Parliament's recent provocations over the Taiwan question are some leading MEPs who harbor malice and prejudice against China and have repeatedly smeared China with disinformation and lies on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Raphael Glucksmann, a French MEP, is heading the upcoming delegation to Taiwan. Glucksmann was blacklisted by the Chinese side in March. He groundlessly accused Xinjiang of keeping "3 million people in concentration camps," which has been proven an outright rumor. Disregarding the fact that Taiwan is an inalienable part of the Chinese territory, he called Taiwan a "sovereign democracy" on Instagram and suggested the EU should revise its "one China" policy last year in a joint letter with a group of EU parliamentarians and experts. 

The EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation report aiming at upgrading EU-Taiwan relations was drafted by Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers. 

The Swedish MEP has long held a twisted attitude toward China. In April 2020, he was described as "at the forefront of calling for" the investigation into China's handling on the COVID-19 crisis and accused China of delaying in releasing the information to the world.

Besides Glucksmann and Weimers, MEPs Reinhard Butikofer and Michael Gahler, both of whom are on the Chinese side's sanction list, are also main figures that have been pushing the European Parliament to make an issue of the Taiwan question. Butikofer threatened that "but then there is Taiwan" on Twitter after he was banned from visiting the mainland, Hong Kong and Macao in March. Gahler, chair of the EP-Taiwan Friendship Group - the most powerful lobby for Taiwan in the European Parliament - is a major representative of Taiwan's interests in the parliament. 

Following Washington's step

"The behavior of a number of MEPs in visiting Taiwan and introducing the EU-Taiwan resolution was at best irresponsible, at worst, highly dangerous," Clare Daly, an Irish MEP who is a part of the minority opposing the European Parliament intervening in the Taiwan question told the Global Times. Daly believes it is part of a broader anti-China campaign which has become very visible inside the European Parliament. "For example, since my election, we have had nine resolutions, which have been broadly attacking China in relation to human rights mattes and so on, yet only one in relation to the United States, after George Floyd, and that took a huge amount of effort to get that onto the agenda," Daly said. 

"Those anti-China MEPs are making an issue of the Taiwan question to gain political scores and garner public attention," said Gao Jian, director of the Center for British Studies, Shanghai International Studies University. They even touted being sanctioned by China side as political capitals, which shows the entrenched anti-China hysteria in the European Parliament, Gao noted.  

Quite a large number of MEPs have a biased attitude toward China. The EU-Taiwan Political Relations and Cooperation report was approved by 580 votes in favor and 26 against with 66 abstentions. It's fair to say that most of the MEPs are not adept at handling external relations, nor do they have common sense about international relations, Chinese observers said.

 Provoking China over the Taiwan question that concerns the country's core interests has reflected those MEPs' ignorance of international politics. Moreover, Washington's influence in Brussels cannot be underestimated. Many MEPs' stance is susceptible to Washington's will power. 

By provoking China over the Taiwan question, those anti-China MEPs are in fact attempting to lead the EU into a dead end of confronting China. In order to attract attention for their private ends, they can completely put aside the EU interests. What they have done and are doing serve their own interests and the interests of the US, but runs counter to the interests of the EU. "It is in the interest of the US to break the link between the EU and China, which would then make the EU more dependent on the US," Daly warned.  

Although the report on upgrading EU-Taiwan relations is non-binding, it could mislead European public opinion, ergo deepening some Europeans' sympathy for Taiwan and hostility toward the mainland. It could also create stumbling blocks in China-EU relations. Regarding China as a new cold war rival, Washington is making great efforts to rally allies against China. Although the EU emphasizes strategic autonomy, it's precisely because of institutions such as the European Parliament which dance to the US' tune that adds weight to the impression that EU is subordinated to the US. 

In October, during his call with Chinese President Xi Jinping, European Council President Charles Michel said the EU abides by the one-China policy, and has never changed its policies concerning Taiwan. However, in the future, the European Parliament may continue to play a negative role in China-EU relations and the development of EU. As such, it's necessary for China to demand EU leaders make clearer statements on EU's Taiwan policy to curb some forces' attempt to play with fire, said Cui Hongjian, director of the Department of European Studies, China Institute of International Studies.