Chinese officials have been giving legal advice to European countries, telling them their own border laws should force them to stop Taiwanese politicians from entering, according to more than half a dozen diplomats and officials who know about the situation.
The Chinese officials reached out directly to European governments in their home countries, warning them not to trample on China’s red lines, as per Guardian.
The approaches happened in different ways. Some contacts were made to individual countries, while others were to group of nations. Some were delivered through written diplomatic notes called note verbale, and others were done in person. These contacts took place in November and December, and were at least partly a response to recent visits by Taiwanese officials to Europe, including Taiwan’s current vice-president and foreign minister, as well as a former president.
In one written note, Beijing said it “respects the sovereignty of the European side in introducing and implementing visa policy”. Still, it claimed an “institutional loophole” had allowed too many visits by Taiwan politicians.
The Chinese officials pointed to various EU laws and regulations, including the Schengen Borders Code, which states that non-EU citizens can only enter if they “are not considered to be a threat to the international relations of any of the member states”. Essentially, Chinese officials were suggesting that allowing Taiwanese officials into a European country would damage that country’s relationship with China.
In some cases, they also mentioned the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, or suggested European countries should follow the United Nations’ example and ban all Taiwanese people from government buildings.
Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, an assistant professor at Taiwan’s National Dong Hwa University, called the move bold when told about it. “Beijing’s application and interpretation of this regulation is bold,” she said. “It is Beijing’s interpretation that EU-Taiwan ties threaten EU-China ties. This is not at all the perception or reality in Europe.”
China’s foreign ministry did not answer questions about this matter. However, the written note said European countries should reject any “so-called diplomatic passports” issued by Taiwan, and “prohibit Taiwanese personnel from entering Europe to seek official contact and exchanges and trample on China’s red line”.
The note also stated: “China hopes the EU institutions and European countries will, out of the larger interests of China-EU relations and bilateral relations, make the political decision of refusing the entry of Taiwan’s so-called president or vice president (former ones included).” The document listed other officials as well.
The note mentioned visits by Taiwanese officials to Belgium, the Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Germany, Lithuania, Denmark, Estonia and Ireland, saying they “seriously undermine China-EU relations”. It specifically criticised the European side for allowing vice-president Hsiao Bi-khim to speak at the European Parliament building, where she gave a speech at the annual summit of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China in Brussels.
Norway and Finland confirmed they received this advice from China. Both countries said the relevant Schengen bodies decide their visa regulations with Taiwan. A spokesperson for the UK Foreign Office said: “Permission to enter the UK is determined solely by our own laws and immigration rules, which apply equally to those travelling from Taiwan.”
European officials who received China’s advice didn’t consider it legally sound, especially since the border codes China mentioned have been in place since 2011. However, the warning tone was taken very seriously by some smaller nations who may be more concerned about upsetting China.
Ferenczy explained: “I see this as another way to generate unease among member states that their relations with the [People’s Republic of China] might be at risk and Beijing knows well that some EU member states are very keen to attract Chinese investment at present.”
While the EU has formal diplomatic relations with Beijing, it also maintains strong unofficial relations with Taipei through parliamentary cooperation and trade. Several European countries and the EU have trade offices in Taipei that function like unofficial embassies.
However, in recent years, Beijing has increased pressure on Europe regarding Taiwan. China claims Taiwan as its own province and has stated it intends to take control of it, using force if necessary. One of China’s strategies to pressure Taiwan into accepting unification is to isolate Taiwan diplomatically on the international stage.
Claus Soong, an analyst at Merics who studies China’s global strategy, said this unusual move fits with Beijing’s long-term strategy of using every possible method to prevent closer cooperation between other countries and Taiwan.
“Beijing is trying as much as they can to say that you should really think a little bit before letting Taiwanese officials in. I wouldn’t say it’s a threat, it’s more a reminder, although not necessarily gentle,” he said.
