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Finbarr Bermingham Profile picture
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21 Oct, 7 tweets, 2 min read
NEW: European Parliament adopts first ever report calling on EU to ramp up relations with Taiwan.

580 for
26 against
66 abstentions

Landslide.
Vote pressures EU Commission to:

- Lay the groundwork for a new Bilateral Investment Agreement
- Express deep concerns over Chinese military pressure against Taiwan
- Change name of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan to ‘European Union Office in Taiwan
It is not binding, but is a sign of the groundswell of support for the EU to intensify its relations with Taiwan.
More info here:
europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-…
A not surprising breakdown of the votes. Nobody from the Left group voted in favour, with most choosing to abstain
"The European Parliament should immediately stop its words and deeds that damage China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and stop provocation and confrontation," Chinese foreign ministry spox Weng Wenbin said in Beijing today
Our story here: including details of China's behind the scenes efforts to sway the Taiwan vote

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More from @fbermingham

Finbarr Bermingham Profile picture
21 Oct
🚨NEW🚨

Chinese ambassador to the European Union Zhang Ming urged European Parliament President @DavidSassoli to “leverage” his role to sway opinion on landmark Taiwan vote

scmp.com/news/china/dip…
“I hope that you can leverage your role to enable the Parliament to fully appreciate the seriousness and sensitivity of the Taiwan issue and play a positive and constructive role in upholding the political foundation of China-EU relations,” he wrote in a letter dated August 31
He said the report was a “rather negative document” and warned that its recommendations would “constitute serious violations of the one-China principle"
Read 7 tweets
Finbarr Bermingham Profile picture
20 Oct
China's trade policy review at the WTO is ongoing today and there was a bit of pushback in the morning session.

Short summary to follow, via a Geneva trade official...
Review is led by Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and 20 officials from 7 gov agencies, fielding 1,600 Qs from 40 WTO members, mostly answered in writing before today

But Australia, Japan & US raised major issues with China's trade policy. EU, UK, Taiwan & Korea to come this avo
Australia.

Says China has disrupted trade covering a wide range of products, naming "arbitrary border testing & inspection, unwarranted delays in listing & readiness to export establishments, issuing import licenses, unjustified anti-dumping & countervailing duties"
Read 24 tweets
Finbarr Bermingham Profile picture
19 Oct
EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell due to address the European Parliament on Taiwan just now, but has been replaced without notice by EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager...
Vestager: "EU has to address China's assertiveness and attempts to intimidate Taiwan's likeminded partners... Lithuania and all member states find themselves coerced for taking decisions that China finds offensive... they need support and our solidarity."
Vestager: "The EU will continue to pushback at these attempts, and adopt appropriate tools such as the anti-coercion instrument, currently under preparation."
Read 10 tweets
Finbarr Bermingham Profile picture
11 Aug
Spent yesterday speaking to Lithuanian politicians about the diplomatic row with China.

Report here.

scmp.com/news/china/art…
For some there was resolve not to allow the recall of China's ambassador to intimidate Vilnius.

“We don’t respond well to threats. We survived a Communist regime for over half a century, we won't allow China or Belarus or Russia to somehow dictate that,” said @DSakaliene
Chair of the foreign affairs committee @ZygisPavilionis accused China of "double standards"

"We want mutual respect. We have the same rights as Germans, French, Italians, Belgium or Dutch. If they develop their economic relations with Taiwan, they seek the respect from China"
Read 7 tweets
Finbarr Bermingham Profile picture
10 Aug
BREAKING!

"China recalled its Ambassador to Lithuania and demanded the Lithuanian Government recall its Ambassador to China."

This is over Vilnius' "decision to allow the Taiwan authorities to open a "representative office" under the name of Taiwan"

fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_6…
In statement posted to its Beijing Embassy site, Lithuania confirms the move

Lithuania "regrets this move by China & reiterates that while respecting the principle of one China it is determined to develop mutually beneficial relations with Taiwan"

scmp.com/news/china/dip…
Interesting comment from Wang Yiwei, director of Centre for European Studies at Renmin Uni

“The next step will be to cut ties if Lithuania is to go further and establish diplomatic relations with Taiwan.”

No indication this is the plan for Lithuania.

scmp.com/news/china/dip…
Read 5 tweets
Finbarr Bermingham Profile picture
25 Jul
NEW: Xinjiang's exports to the EU soared by 131% in the first half of 2021, led by surges in some goods that have been flagged as being linked to forced labour by the United States

scmp.com/news/china/dip…
The EU currently has no ban on such goods but is processing supply chain legislation that would seek to remove goods linked to forced labour from the market.

Shipments came off a low base due to Covid shutdowns last year, but are up 103.5% on 2019's levels
Germany bought 143% more goods from Xinjiang in the first six months vs a year earlier, exports to Italy rose 32% and the Netherlands 187%, and Belgium 1,591%

Post Brexit UK bought 192.2% more goods from Xinjiang in the first half of 2021
Read 7 tweets

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