A non-binding report on EU policy toward China calls for naval deployments, joint exercises and broader Indo-Pacific cooperation.
The European Parliament is preparing to vote on a non-binding report on EU policy toward China that calls for a continuous naval presence and joint exercises by European countries and partners in waters near Taiwan. The draft also urges a broader diplomatic and maritime response across the Indo-Pacific.
Commissioned by the Parliament, the report has cleared its Foreign Affairs Committee and is due for a plenary vote in Strasbourg on Wednesday. It addresses not only the Taiwan Strait but also the South and East China seas, freedom of navigation and overflight, and maritime security cooperation with India and other regional partners.
The text urges stronger efforts with Beijing against illegal fishing and greater transparency about China’s fishing fleet. It also calls for reducing the EU’s trade deficit with China, limiting the competitive impact of Chinese companies and pressing for the rights of minorities, particularly in Tibet and Xinjiang.
The most sensitive section concerns Taiwan’s status. The draft opposes any unilateral change to the status quo through force or coercion and calls for developing EU ties with the island while maintaining the bloc’s stated One China policy and encouraging cross-strait dialogue. It also urges efforts to secure access to UN events for Taiwanese passport holders.
The report is non-binding, and European naval activity in the South China Sea remains limited and intermittent. An immediate shift in the military balance is therefore not assured, although the Parliament’s position could shape future relations and trade negotiations with Beijing. The Foreign Affairs Committee approved the text by 44 votes to nine, with 12 abstentions.