US and EU Express Concern Over Increasing Unilateral Actions by China in Taiwan Strait

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] The United States and the European Union (EU) expressed concern through a joint statement released after high-level consultations, stating that China is engaging in unilateral and worrisome actions in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait.

According to foreign media including the Associated Press on the 2nd (local time), Wendy Sherman, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, and Stefano Sannino, Secretary-General of the EU External Action Service (EEAS), held the "2nd U.S.-EU China Dialogue" in Washington DC and released a joint press statement afterward. In the statement, both sides criticized China’s actions in the South China Sea, East China Sea, and Taiwan Strait, saying these undermine regional security and peace and directly affect the security and prosperity of both the U.S. and the EU.

They also discussed the increasing number of China’s concerning actions that violate international law and run counter to the shared values and interests of the U.S. and EU. The U.S. State Department reported that human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang and Tibet regions, as well as the weakening of democracy and autonomy in Hong Kong, were also topics of discussion.

Deputy Secretary Sherman and Secretary-General Sannino agreed on the importance of responding to economic coercion, strengthening and diversifying supply chains, and building economic and technological resilience. They also committed to continuing close cooperation to maintain a rules-based international order. Furthermore, they agreed to deepen information sharing regarding the dissemination of disinformation attributed to China.

Previously, the "U.S.-EU China Dialogue," focused on cooperation in responding to China, held its first meeting in Brussels, Belgium, in May and established working groups covering six areas including security, human rights, economy, and multilateralism. A State Department official said in a briefing the day before, "We expect a stronger statement than the first meeting in May and a much broader and more specific range of topics to be addressed."

However, within China, there is analysis that the EU will not unconditionally follow the U.S. policy toward China. Since EU member states adopt different China policies depending on their trade and economic relations with China, it is explained that they will seek a balance amid cooperation and conflict. Choi Hong-jun, Director of the European Studies Institute at the China Institute of International Studies, told the Chinese state media Global Times in an interview, "What Europe wants is positive exchanges and interactions with the U.S.," adding, "Europe believes its views and interests must be respected, so rather than simply following the U.S., it will compromise with the U.S."