《TAIPEI TIMES》 Taiwan already independent, MOFA tells EU official

FREE NATION: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that it hopes the EU and all countries can respect that Taiwan’s future can only be determined by Taiwanese

/ Staff Writer, with CNA

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The Republic of China is already an independent nation, and as such has no need to declare independence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs （MOFA） said in a press release yesterday, after an EU official stated on Friday that Taiwan should not make any unilateral declaration of independence.

The ministry said it noticed European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell published a piece on the European External Action Service Web site on Friday, stating that the EU’s “one China” policy remains unchanged and that “Taiwan should not embark on any unilateral declaration of independence.”

Borrell said that while the EU is aware of how important Taiwan is for China, as a major security issue in EU-China relations, the “status quo” should be maintained, and that China should not erode it, whether by coercion or force.

Meanwhile, in his remarks, Borrell stated that the EU’s bilateral ties with Taiwan would continue, but without diplomatic recognition.

He added that the EU would keep calling for all tensions to be resolved through dialogue, and added it has consistently asked interlocutors on all sides to avoid any actions that could lead to an escalation.

MOFA said it affirmed Borrell’s comments on maintaining Taiwan-EU relations, as well as calling for the resolution of cross-strait issues through dialogue.

The ministry added that Taiwan and the EU cooperating would be beneficial to sustaining international peace, stability and prosperity.

However, concerning the “one China” policy mentioned in Borrell’s article, the ministry said that Taiwan is already an independent country, and as a free and democratic nation, the state’s future can only be determined by its people, a fact it hopes the EU and all democratic countries can respect and understand.

新聞來源：TAIPEI TIMES