Ahead of First In-Person Summit, EU-ASEAN Removes 'Taiwan' Mention from Joint Statement

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Ahead of the first in-person summit on the 14th (local time) between the 27 European Union (EU) countries and the 10 ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) countries, it has been reported that they decided to omit any mention of Taiwan from the joint statement draft in consideration of China.

Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP), citing sources, reported that the EU and ASEAN sides created a joint statement draft on the day, focusing on the South China Sea issue without any mention of Taiwan.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

An EU source conveyed that the two sides debated the extent to which the Chinese ‘One China’ principle (China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, etc. are one) should be mentioned. While ASEAN tended to lean more towards China’s position, the EU emphasized a more autonomous interpretation of the ‘One China’ principle that leaves room for cooperation with Taiwan. An EU official stated, "In the end, it was decided not to mention anything (in the joint statement)."

The Taiwan issue is the most sensitive core diplomatic matter for China. When Chinese President Xi Jinping met U.S. President Joe Biden last month, he said, "Taiwan is the ‘core’ of China’s core interests," and described it as "the political foundation of bilateral relations and the first red line that must not be crossed in the relationship between the two countries."

The EU and ASEAN are China’s first and second largest core trade partner regions. While considering China’s economic influence, both sides are seeking to expand economic cooperation with various regions to reduce dependence on China. In this context, after confirming their differing positions on the sensitive Taiwan issue for China, it is interpreted that they decided to refrain from mentioning it altogether.

Instead, considering that ASEAN is engaged in territorial disputes with China over the South China Sea, the statement includes a reaffirmation of "the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)."

This EU-ASEAN summit is the first face-to-face meeting held 45 years after the two sides established diplomatic relations. During the one-day meeting, the two sides are expected to discuss agendas including economic cooperation, cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, and global challenges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.