“There must be no February 24th in Asia”

European Parliament Vice-President Nicola Beer sends warnings to China from Taiwan. However, Beijing is more concerned about Nancy Pelosi’s travel plans.

Nicola Beer came to Taiwan with a clear message. As Vice President of the European Parliament, the FDP politician is the highest-ranking visitor from Brussels to date. “There must be no February 24 in Asia,” she said Tuesday after meeting Taiwan’s Premier Su Tseng-chang. “It’s not enough for Europe to regret afterwards, it has to be on the scene early on.” Beer wants to do just that for three days, and this Wednesday she will be received by President Tsai Ing-wen. Beer travels with the backing of the European Parliament, which voted by a large majority in October 2021 for a “comprehensive and enhanced partnership” with Taiwan.

The EU stands firmly by Taiwan’s side, she said at the outset, without shaking the European Union’s official one-China policy. However, she combined this with warnings to Beijing. His threatening gestures are unacceptable, they would not escape Europe. “China is igniting peace in the region,” she said. “Any unilateral change in the status quo would be a fatal trigger for a regional fire that could spread worldwide.” China’s military provocations are being followed with “extreme concern” and the “continuous intrusion into the Taiwanese air defense zone” condemned in the strongest possible terms. “We hope that the EU will continue to support us and resolutely voice its concerns, sooner and louder,” Prime Minister Su said.