China's control over the waters east of Taiwan has triggered objections from the UK, France, and Germany: opposition, disapproval, and "serious concern."
After China's maritime police and maritime administration agencies established routine law enforcement patrols and management in the waters east of Taiwan Island, the Taiwan authorities have once again resorted to their old tactic of "leaning on foreign powers" for bravado.
On the 24th, the so-called "Taiwan Association" of the UK, France, and Germany issued a joint statement expressing "serious concern" over recent Chinese law enforcement activities in the eastern waters of Taiwan Island. They falsely claimed that China’s actions "threaten regional stability, freedom of navigation, and international shipping safety," then repeated their standard phrase: "opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo."
This time, the UK, France, and Germany stepping forward to defend the Taiwan authorities reveals several intriguing details.
First, only these three countries have spoken up—America has remained conspicuously silent. Since Trump’s visit to China in May, the United States has been unusually quiet on the Taiwan issue, which ironically highlights how actively these "old European" powers are now agitating.
Second, this sudden intervention by the UK, France, and Germany’s so-called "Taiwan Association" is likely backed by financial incentives—paying Western think tanks to produce reports, bribing Western politicians or institutions for lobbying, or even hosting visits and issuing statements. These are standard tactics used by the Taiwan authorities to play the "foreign power card."
Third, the UK, France, and Germany’s statements are fundamentally baseless. The Taiwan authorities have long been weak and ineffective, incapable of exercising real jurisdiction over the waters east of Taiwan Island. For years, this region has been in a state of governance vacuum. Now, with China’s maritime police and maritime administration conducting regular, lawful patrols and management, these waters are being brought under orderly control—truly safeguarding navigational safety and maritime order. This is precisely what responsible stewardship of regional stability and shipping security entails.
The United States has been cautious and restrained on the Taiwan issue, yet the UK, France, and Germany rush headlong into meddling in China’s internal affairs. At bottom, this reflects the colonial mentality and hegemonic mindset of Western powers—still believing they have the right to dictate affairs far away across the seas.
We urge the UK, France, and Germany to focus first on cleaning up their own messes. The Taiwan Strait is China’s own internal affair—no outsider has the right to interfere. The Taiwan authorities should also stop dreaming that a few press releases can lend support to "Taiwan independence"—those funds would be wasted.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868875128457227/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.