Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

With Western warships recently passing through the Taiwan Straits, some politicians and media on the island of Taiwan have displayed obvious smugness. However, such behavior - seeking separatism by relying on foreign forces - is a misjudgment of the situation and a self-deceptive dream, destined to face fail.

On Tuesday, the defense authority on the island of Taiwan announced on X that a French naval vessel sailed through the Taiwan Straits from south to north on Monday. The French Ministry of Defense stated that the ship had been on its way to Japanese waters after a stop in the Philippines in order to start work on a UN mission. 

This is the third foreign warship to sail through the Taiwan Straits in October, following the transit of warships from the US and Canada. Some politicians and media in the island of Taiwan have been particularly proactive about this, seizing the opportunity to hype it as proof of external support once again. 

Wu Chih-chung, an official from Taiwan, listed the European countries "coming to the Taiwan Straits" on his Facebook, including France and Germany, the latter of which sent two warships through the Taiwan Straits in September. Wu also claimed that the "Taiwan region, along with Europe and countries around the world, is jointly safeguarding the common interests of regional democracy and peace." 

Regional security and peace depend on the stabilization of the cross-Straits relations and the warm interaction between the Chinese people on both sides of the Straits. Unilaterally rushing to cheer for some foreign naval ships sailing through the Taiwan Straits will not bring peace; it only exposes the trepidation of certain politicians in Taiwan. 

Experts told the Global Times that some politicians in Taiwan often view gaining so-called support from the US and the West as a "breakthrough." "It's not surprising that some politicians in Taiwan are pleased with the French transit through the Taiwan Straits. In the current context where the one-China principle is firmly established and widely uphold, some 'Taiwan independence' separatists exhaust their efforts to view related events as so-called support and spin them in their favor," Tong Liqun, a research fellow at the Institute for Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao Studies of the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies, told the Global Times.

In reality, the DPP's attempt to expand its so-called international space through Western countries, including European nations, is nothing more than a delusional dream. In recent years, although some European countries have frequently expressed concern for the Taiwan region through military exercises and transits though the Taiwan Straits, this is primarily about pursuing their own interests. "In fact, these countries' actions are more about trying to play the 'Taiwan card' for their geopolitical benefits, and certainly not for the good of the Taiwan region," said Tong.

Furthermore, many European countries face their own complex issues and challenges, such as economic crises, internal instability and regional security situations. Actions that seem to seek presence often serve only to support the US "Indo-Pacific Strategy" with superficial and ineffective provocations, experts told the Global Times.

The Taiwan Straits is not a stage for any external forces to put on a political show. Any provocation and harm to China's sovereignty and security regarding the Taiwan question is firmly opposed. The Taiwan question is China's internal affair, and maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits hinges on firmly opposing "Taiwan independence." Some Western countries should recognize the significance of adhering to the one-China principle, while certain politicians in Taiwan region should abandon the illusion of "Taiwan independence" and refrain from recklessly pursing the wrong path. If they insist on creating trouble regarding the Taiwan question, they will inevitably face the consequences of playing with fire.