Taiwan is already an independent nation- Taiwan’s MOFA

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The Republic of China (Taiwan) is already an independent nation, and as such has no need to declare independence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said in a press release Saturday, after an EU official stated Friday that Taiwan should not make any unilateral declaration of independence.

According to the statement, the ministry noticed High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell published a piece on the European External Action Service (EEAS) website Friday, stating that the European Union’s (EU) One China Policy remains unchanged and that “Taiwan should not embark on any unilateral declaration of independence.”

Borrell noted that while the EU is aware of how important Taiwan, as a major security issue in EU-China relations, is for China, it believes the status quo should be maintained, and that China should not erode it, whether by coercion or force.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Borrell stated that the EU’s bilateral ties with Taiwan will continue, but without diplomatic recognition.

He added that the EU will keep calling for all tensions to be resolved through dialogue, and noted it has consistently asked interlocutors on all sides to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation.

Responding to the article, MOFA said it affirmed Borrell’s comments on maintaining Taiwan-EU relations, as well as calling for the resolution of cross-strait issues through dialogue.

The ministry added that Taiwan and the EU cooperating together would be beneficial to sustaining internationl peace, stability and prosperity.

However, concerning the One China Policy mentioned in Borrell’s article, the ministry asserted that Taiwan is already an independent country, and as a free and democratic nation, the state’s future can only be determined by its people, a fact it hopes the EU and all democratic countries can respect and understand. (EPARDAFAS)