In Brief: Charlie Weimers MEP

23 May 2022

We were delighted to recently sit down with Swedish Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Charlie Weimers for a fascinating discussion where we looked at the current state of EU-Taiwan ties and considered where this relationship might be headed in the future.

9DL: For the past two years Taiwan has received an unprecedented level of interest and support across the world. With a technologically advanced economy and robust democracy in a hostile geopolitical environment, Taiwan has thrived while the rest of the world slowed down because of the global health crisis. In April this year, you led a delegation of Swedish legislators to Taiwan. You are the rapporteur of the first-ever stand-alone report on Taiwan in the European Parliament and a strong supporter of the expansion of bilateral ties. What were your main impressions throughout your visit?

CW: First, the Taiwanese hospitality. We received a very warm welcome in Taipei from President Tsai, Foreign Minister Wu, the Speaker of the Legislative Yuan, Mr You Si-Kun, the Minister of the Mainland Affairs Council, Mr Chui Tai-san, the Taiwan Digital Minister, Hon. Audrey Tang, and the Minister for Economic Affairs, Ms Wang Mei-Hua. The visit was very well received by the delegation and we thank Taiwan’s President Tsai and the Taiwanese people for their kind hospitality.

Second, and this also very much relates to the many high-level meetings that we had, is Taiwan’s strong commitment to democracy, and its vast expertise and experience in fighting disinformation from mainland China, including the COVID-19 pandemic. During the meetings with the President, Ministers, and academics, I was often left impressed by their deep knowledge and understanding of the numerous topics we discussed, including Taiwan’s experience in fighting disinformation as a democracy, and China’s and the CCP’s domestic politics and military advances.

Third, I was also very much impressed by the Taiwanese attention to detail. The visit was very well planned, which greatly contributed to the visit’s success. Despite COVID-19 restrictions, we were able to experience a bit of Taiwan’s culture and see its beautiful countryside with a visit to the National Center for Traditional Arts and the Kavalan Whiskey distillery. ‘As a cherry on top of the cake’, one of the Swedish delegation members had their birthday on the last day of the visit, and the Speaker of the Legislative Yuan had organised a birthday cake for him!

9DL: Just as Taiwan’s image across the EU has recently improved, perceptions of China have deteriorated, in particular with the offset of COVID. The EU is in the process of rethinking its approach to China, indicating its willingness to be more assertive and address its vulnerabilities and strategic dependencies exposed by the pandemic. How do you see the future of EU-China ties in this context?

CW: Concerning the pandemic, I believe that Europe has learned its lesson on the importance of the need to diversify. We can no longer depend on a single autocratic regime for our resources, be it Russia or China. European companies are, however, much more invested in China than they are in Russia; hence, it may be more difficult to divest from China. Nevertheless, on a political level, I foresee the EU taking a cautious though more assertive position towards China, very much supported by the European Parliament.

9DL: In your view, does Europe at present see Taiwan as a strategically important partner in the Indo-Pacific? Is it accurate to say that there is indeed a broad awareness of Taiwan’s geostrategic relevance or is it mainly a handful of countries, namely Lithuania, Slovakia and Czechia that are interested in strengthening bilateral ties, leaving the rest of the EU cautious to engage Taiwan out of fear of upsetting China?

CW: Absolutely. Despite its relatively small size, Taiwan is an important strategic partner given its position in the world economy and strong commitments to democratic values and a rules-based world order. Some European countries are more sensitive to pressure from Beijing and may wish to cooperate with Taiwan less openly. Take my country Sweden with its leftist government as an example. Despite Sweden’s close ties with China, through China’s ownership of Volvo and investment in wind power projects in northern Sweden, last week the Riksdag overwhelmingly adopted a resolution calling on the Swedish government to enhance the country’s presence in Taiwan while deepening bilateral ties by changing its representative office’s name to House of Sweden.

9DL: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has shocked the world, and it shocked democratic Taiwan. Taiwan has for decades lived under the mounting threat of the People’s Republic of China, and in light of Russia’s war, fears inside Taiwan have grown concerning the impact of the war on China’s approach to Taiwan. Is there a role for the EU in a Taiwan contingency in your view?

CW: Absolutely. The EU and its Member States must cooperate with like-minded democratic partners around the world to make China aware of the huge political and economic costs should it even think of invading Taiwan so that it does not even become an option for the CCP. In this regard, I believe that we need many more delegations and visits between Europe and Taiwan, to strengthen our bilateral relations and to reinforce our commitment to Taiwan’s security.

9DL: What are Sweden’s priorities when it comes to the Indo-Pacific? Can you also speak to the mood in Sweden-China ties and what areas of cooperation do you see as most effective and beneficial between Sweden and Taiwan?

CW: Sweden’s Foreign Minister, Ann Linde, recently stated that the Swedish government backs Taiwan’s participation in the World Health Organisation (WHO). Many MEPs, including myself, support Taiwan’s participation in multilateral forums, such as the WHO, especially given that it was Taiwan — not China — that first alerted the world to COVID-19. In fact, this and many other suggestions were included in the report, which I drafted, and which was adopted by an overwhelming majority in the European Parliament. During my visit to Taiwan, my Swedish colleagues from the Riksdag asked me to share the resolution with them so they could include many of its points in a similar initiative in the Swedish Parliament.

9DL: India is considered an important partner for Sweden and the EU in the Indo-Pacific. Given the EU and Sweden’s emphasis on democracy and human rights and India’s alarmingly deteriorating track record on these issues, how do you view the future of ties with India? Can Sweden and the EU play a positive role in this regard?

CW: India is a democratic partner in the Indo-Pacific and I believe that the relationship will strengthen with time — despite India’s relations with Russia. Through cooperation, the EU and India can also strengthen relations in areas of human rights, democracy and good governance.

DISCLAIMER: All views expressed are those of the interviewee and do not necessarily represent that of the 9DASHLINE.com platform.