Taiwan’s National Security Bureau. Photo taken from the website of Taiwan’s National Security Bureau
Taipei, May 11 (CNA) China could attempt to step up its disruption of pro-Taiwan activities in Europe, the National Security Bureau (NSB) said in a report recently submitted to the Legislative Yuan.
The NSB report presented an analysis of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s (習近平) recent visit to France, Serbia and Hungary and the potential impact of Chinese actions on Taiwan’s national security.
According to the bureau, Xi’s trip to the three European nations was an attempt to fuel disunity within the European Union and drive a wedge between Europe and the United States.
During his meeting with Xi, French President Emmanuel Macron emphasized that it was crucial for Europe to maintain strategic autonomy, and wanted to show France’s ability to maintain dialogue with China in order to strive for European leadership, the NSB said.
Xi was hoping to mend China’s relations with Europe and seeking to lobby European countries such as France to insist on strategic independence, it said.
Concerning Taiwan, the NSB said that although Xi’s visit to the three European countries will not slow European Union “de-risking” from China, some member states could, in accordance with their own needs, adjust their trade relations with China.
Such a move could potentially affect Taiwan-EU economic and trade exchanges, the NSB said.
While Xi’s visit did not fundamentally alter Taiwan’s relations with Europe, the NSB said the country must pay close attention to whether Beijing works with Russia and pro-China forces in Central and Eastern Europe to support one other on issues such as the Russia-Ukraine war and the Taiwan-Strait issue.
In addition, the NSB warned that China could step up its disruption of pro-Taiwan activities in Europe.
The June elections for the European Parliament and legislative elections expected in the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Lithuania could give Beijing an opportunity to interfere with Taiwan’s parliamentary diplomacy and disrupt pro-Taiwan actions in Europe, it added.
NSB Director-General Tsai Ming-yen (蔡明彥) is scheduled to appear in Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan to answer questions on the report on Monday.
