Following several visits to Europe by senior Taiwanese officials, TaiwanPlus speaks with Markéta Gregorová, a European Parliament member and IPAC member, about the state of Europe-Taiwan ties.
00:00What is your assessment of the current state of Europe-Taiwan relations and what is the sentiment within the European Parliament on Taiwan?
00:07I would definitely say, well, starting with the European Parliament, definitely all democratic groups still stand with Taiwan.
00:16To be really honest, although we could, let's say, see some warming up of relations between China and, I will call it the Europe, not necessarily European Parliament, mostly Germany,
00:33we also see that they are still very hostile in terms of their diplomacy.
00:40So, in these circumstances, Taiwanese diplomatic efforts shine even brighter.
00:48And this is very seen and appreciated in European Parliament and the European Union.
00:55So, would you say that ties between Europe and Taiwan are getting stronger?
00:59I wouldn't say anything is getting stronger or weaker.
01:03I would actually say that currently the relations and ties with Taiwan are sort of based on status quo.
01:13Unfortunately, I think for Taiwan, because I think there is always a space for deepening relations.
01:21What do you think is preventing those ties from getting stronger?
01:24Well, I definitely think it's the risk of Chinese either economic or diplomatic retaliation.
01:32I don't think that there is anything else than potential Chinese aggression or retaliation that's preventing majority of the countries recognizing Taiwan as an autonomous country.
01:44That's the fact. And there is a fear not really unsimilar to the fear from Russia's use of nuclear weapons.
01:54That's why we are not helping Ukraine enough. A fear of escalation from China.
02:00So, we are, you know, not really putting our pressure behind Taiwan.
02:04It sounds sad, but until European Union has its own army and is actually able to enforce their will by hard means in terms of hard power, then it will stay like that.
02:19Recently, there have been several visits to Europe by senior Taiwanese officials.
02:23In Taiwan, that's been perceived as a good sign for Europe-Taiwan relations. What's your take on this?
02:29It might seem and it is true that there are increasing visits, that there are business meetings, that there are political meetings, you know.
02:38So, yes, technically, of course, the diplomatic ties are strengthening and I cannot ignore it.
02:46I maybe have approached all of this a little bit from the cynical and unsatisfied point of view because I would love Taiwan to be recognized, of course,
02:57and to be without a threat from China. So, in this regard, I don't see the progress I want.
03:04But yes, Taiwanese representatives are being received here in this building, whereas Chinese representatives were not allowed for seven years to be accepted here.
03:18Of course, that now also changed, but for certain reasons. So, in all of this atmosphere, I absolutely agree with the sentiment that the ties are strengthening.
03:30I am just very concerned about the potential military help that we would be able to provide to Taiwan in case anything goes down.
03:41I am just one to go to Taiwan in case anything that is one of the other people that are hoşougham on here in this building.
03:46And I think it goes down.
03:48I think that the problem will be happening and one of the other people that think as an angelic change goes down.
03:49I think that all of this, I think the fact that now the most likely research work is only one of those people that are not given for them,
03:51that I think there are still one of the other people that are not given to the same famed as a human talk of the state.
03:53That's something I am just thinking about.
03:54Now, thank you all.
03:55I don't see everyone but I'm just watching.
03:56But I think the fact that the progress of this is also an angelic change goes down.
03:57Great.
03:58So you can hear me before I think it goes down.
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