Increased engagement with Taiwan needs less rhetoric and more (quiet) action
Increased engagement with Taiwan needs less rhetoric and more (quiet) action
WRITTEN BY DR SIMONA GRANO
20 December 2023
Once a region where China could pursue business relations free from the geopolitical tensions that weigh over its business and trade relations with the US, Europe has grown increasingly suspicious of Beijing in recent years; intensifying discussions on Chinese influence, espionage, and security threats — amplified by Beijing’s aggressive behaviour in the Asia-Pacific region, including in the Taiwan Strait are by now commonplace.
European politicians are trying to strike a better balance between economic and security interests by increasing engagement with Taiwan. However, the best mechanisms for Europe to make such engagement with Taiwan most meaningful have yet to be undertaken. Rather than offering rhetorical support for democracy that plays well at home but fails to meet the magnitude of the challenge to preserve Taiwan’s autonomy, European officials should consider throwing quiet weight behind Taiwan’s concrete participation in international institutions where statehood is not a requirement. Doing so would better showcase to the global audience how Taiwan’s capacity can contribute to universal public goods.
Changes in European attitudes towards Taiwan
Three main events of the past several years have prompted increased engagement with Taiwan in Europe as China’s image is deteriorating in the Old Continent. First, China’s more aggressive behaviour towards neighbouring and far away countries, coupled with its ratcheting rhetoric vis-à-vis Taiwan; second, the COVID-19 pandemic and China’s non-transparent response, which highlighted by contrast Taiwan’s own good management (and the obstacles it faced in sharing its experience at the international level); and finally, the dawning realisation that a globalised world needs stable and open supply chains and that Taiwan, because of its role in the semiconductor industry among other things, plays a key part in maintaining the current order and its stability.
The key question remains to define and push for concrete tools and policies through which Europe can transform its growing solidarity towards Taiwan into a foundational basis of Europe’s China policy, without failing because of hindrances developing out of tight economic dependencies with China.
Taiwan’s importance as a democratic country and as a like-minded nation sharing similar values is growing in Europe and the West; the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which intensified Europe’s consciousness of the possibility of conflict initiated by a great power also increased sympathy for Taiwan’s own situation. In short, there is a growing recognition in Europe of the need to balance economic interests with safeguarding democratic values and human rights.
Such changes are positive — because they contribute to making Taiwan’s plight more visible at the international level — but are mostly symbolic and have no real impact on the island beyond positive image projection. In fact, significant challenges remain and there are few concrete results so far deriving from this increased engagement with the island. The most prominent outcome so far is the increased visibility of the so-called ‘Taiwan Issue’ at the international level.
How to better integrate Taiwan into international networks
Transformations in economic relations could more substantively integrate Taiwan into global networks. In fact, Europe has become more aware of the island’s importance in the global economy after reports estimated that a blockade of the island by China could cost the world over USD 2 trillion in economic losses.
Given Taiwan’s supremacy in the semiconductor industry, the European Union (like the US) is trying to establish closer cooperation to bolster its own chip manufacturing industry. As of 2022, Taiwan has been listed as a partner in the proposed European Chips Act.
Europe should speed up its efforts in the direction of a trade agreement with Taiwan; build resiliency in global semiconductor manufacturing; respond to China’s economic coercion; and diversify supply chains in crucial sectors by placing Taiwan at the centre of such networks. Such measures would not only help Taiwan be more integrated in the international arena but would also have the added value of reducing economic dependence on China.
Finally, Europe and the US should opt for a more ‘under-the-radar’ approach when it comes to Taiwan which would be less self-serving but more effective. Rather than sending parliamentarian delegations to Taiwan to make high-sounding declarations in support of its democracy, they should set in motion a plan which would allow Taiwan to participate and engage in all those international organisations for which statehood is not a sine qua non precondition for membership.
The international community could start by reinstating Taiwan’s right to participate under an ‘observer status’ to the World Health Assembly (WHA), a right that Taiwan already enjoyed from 2008 to 2016 and has since been revoked due to China’s pressure. Taiwan should be allowed to receive information (and share its own expertise) from many agencies such as INTERPOL, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and the numerous environmental international meetings like the recent COP28, whose primary goals are not political but geared towards global health, security, or the wellbeing of the planet. Politically motivated exclusions (read China’s obstruction) should not be tolerated as these run counter to the stated goals of said associations, that is, to solve global problems by every means possible.
Pushing for more international space is a promising opportunity to use international rules and norms to give Taiwan real concrete benefits. This would slowly help build a Taiwan that is becoming an integral component of international circuits despite its lack of legally acknowledged statehood. Even though supporting Taiwan in institutions where statehood is not a requirement has been a feature of the US’ Taiwan policy, it has not brought substantial results so far. But the times are changing and the ‘Taiwan Issue’ now features much more prominently on the agenda of European countries. European states could help in building a unified front, assisting the US and Taiwan’s efforts in this direction.
Therefore, European countries should be more engaged in supporting Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organisations and fora, particularly in areas where Taiwan's expertise and contributions are recognised, such as public health and climate change. Concretely, this would mean organising campaigns for participation that start well before such international gatherings take place. It would also mean involving stakeholders outside of governmental echelons such as civil society, think tanks, NGOs, the public, and relevant institutions. Such a concerted widespread effort, that spans several sectors and underscores the positive inputs of the island to the global system, would be more effective in achieving increased participation by Taiwan in international fora.
The best way to support Taiwan
Just like Pinocchio’s transformation from a puppet into a real boy entailed a long and painful process, Taiwan has a long road ahead. The most meaningful way of supporting it is through more quiet and substantial engagement with Taipei, rather than through visible but less efficacious acts by random parliamentarians.
The key question remains to define and push for concrete tools and policies through which Europe can transform its growing solidarity towards Taiwan into a foundational basis of Europe’s China policy, without failing because of hindrances developing out of tight economic dependencies with China.
Regarding trade, the EU has understood the gravity of the dangers posed by China. Solving unfair Chinese trade practices and imbalances has been at the forefront of the recent EU-China summit and discussions about de-risking. At the same time, EU leaders cannot fail to raise critical issues with their Chinese counterparts, including safeguarding the current order in the Taiwan Strait. This would mean that going forward the EU needs to become more vocal and speak with one voice when it comes to protecting Taiwan.
Any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally should be met by forceful measures since Taiwan is critical to European and global economic stability and should therefore be treated as a core interest. If Europe fails to send strong signals in this regard, it will be betraying its principles and values.
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent that of the 9DASHLINE.com platform.
Author biography
Dr Simona Grano is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Zurich, with a focus on Chinese and Taiwanese studies. In September 2023 she was nominated Senior Fellow at Asia Society Policy Institute's Center for China Analysis (CCA) in New York. She has held research positions and taught China Studies and Taiwan Studies at Ca' Foscari University of Venice in Italy, at the University of Zurich in Switzerland and National Cheng'chi University in Taiwan. Image credit: Flickr/ 總統府.