Ambassador Ming-Yen Tsai interviewed by Deutsche Welle on Taiwan-EU relations
Share
On 22 August, the major international media outlet, Deutsche Welle, reported on Estonia and Latvia's August 11 withdrawal from China's 17+1 mechanism, under the title "Why are the Baltics becoming skeptical of relations with China?".
The report quoted Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis as commenting that China's 17+1 mechanism was redundant and divisive even before Lithuania's withdrawal, and that now that Latvia and Estonia have also opted out, the 14+1 should be replaced by an EU27+1.
In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Ambassador Ming-Yen Tsai said that the strengthening of economic and trade cooperation between Lithuania and Taiwan is fully in line with the EU's policy towards Taiwan. The EU has publicly stated that Taiwan is a like-minded partner and will support Lithuania in developing relations with Taiwan and help Lithuania resist political pressure and economic threats from China, the Ambassador added.
Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, a former political adviser in the European Parliament, analysed that the Baltic states fear Russian aggression and that Beijing's diplomatic support for Moscow against Ukraine does not enhance the image of China in the Baltic states.
