EU to Include 'Preparation for Taiwan Contingency' in First China Strategy Document

The European Union (EU) is reportedly including in the draft of its China strategy document the need to cooperate with partner countries to prepare for a contingency similar to the Taiwan situation.

According to Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun on the 14th, the draft of the EU's China strategy document states, "The risk of escalation in the Taiwan Strait clearly demonstrates the necessity to work with partner countries to prevent the current erosion," and includes the content that "there is a need to prepare for scenarios of rising tensions."

Regarding the Taiwan issue, the document maintains the existing position of "efforts to support the One-China policy," but also specifies the impact on Europe by stating, "If China takes military action, unilateral changes to the status quo and the use of force will have a huge impact on the global economy, politics, and security."

On economic relations with China, the document sees the need for selective decoupling. The EU stated in the document that this is "a golden opportunity to reduce (economic security) risks and excessive dependence on China," and announced plans to establish regulations on China in fields such as semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and space technology.

The EU previously adopted policy documents emphasizing the importance of economic cooperation with China in 2016 and 2019. This revision comes after four years, with the goal of adoption at the EU summit in June this year. The adopted strategy document will serve as a guideline for the China policies of the 27 EU member states.